


Don't Lose Your Way

by ErinPrimette



Series: Keeper of the AllSpark [1]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Aunt-Niece Relationship, Berserk Transformation, Cultural References, Dating, Disney World & Disneyland, Electrocution, F/M, Gen, Holoform(s), Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Kidnapping, Kissing, Older Man/Younger Woman, Robot/Human Relationships, Secret Organizations, Teleportation, Xenolinguistics, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-02-25 04:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 71,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2608679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErinPrimette/pseuds/ErinPrimette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Autobots crash on Earth, they learn that the AllSpark is here, only in the form of shards scattered across the planet. They set out to collect the shards while fighting the Decepticons, and along the way, they get a human woman involved, and she might have the potential to become their ally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Crashed and Frozen

It was just dumb luck that the Autobots were still alive despite the fact that they barely escaped a Decepticon attack on the way to Earth. However, without the Ark, it seemed that there was no way off this planet. At the moment, while Arcee, Chromia and Elita One scanned a nearby Internet tower, Optimus stood outside near the ship in a vast field just outside a city as the other Autobots began moving the cargo outside, including the Pillars. Then again, he was bewildered with one thought.

"If the Decepticons were following us," muttered Optimus, "I wonder if they think we were killed when they shot us down."

"I'm probably close," responded a voice from dark inside the ship, "I bet I'm in pieces back here!"

Optimus recognized the voice and headed back into the ship to help the Autobot. He found Smokescreen stuck underneath the debris. Without hesitation, he moved the debris out of the way, allowing Smokescreen to crawl out of the crevice.

"Thanks, Optimus," smiled Smokescreen.

"You're welcome, Smokescreen," replied Optimus.

Just then, Optimus and Smokescreen heard more voices.

"Get your aft out of my face!" grumbled one voice.

"AAGH," panicked another voice, "fraggin Cons!"

"Help!" shouted yet another voice, "I can't see anything!"

"Should we help them?" asked Smokescreen.

Optimus nodded without saying anything. The two Autobots removed more of the debris, freeing Ironhide, Jazz and Wheeljack.

"Thanks, Optimus," sighed Ironhide.

"You're welcome," replied Optimus, "are you all right?"

"Yes," nodded Ironhide, "but where is everyone else?"

"The others are fine," explained Optimus, "they are just moving the cargo outside and Sentinel is keeping an optic on the Pillars."

Just then, they heard a loud noise from outside.

"Ratchet," roared Sentinel, "I needed that!"

"Look out, Sides," warned Sunstreaker, "old guy fight!"

Optimus led Smokescreen, Ironhide, Jazz and Wheeljack outside to investigate. It seemed apparent that Ratchet knocked over a container of energon that sat with the Pillars.

"What for?" remarked Ratchet, "filling your bottomless pit?"

"For the space bridge, you dumbaft!" thundered Sentinel, "what do you think it runs on, space dust?"

"Optimus," asked Smokescreen, "should we do something?"

Optimus shook his head.

"Those two never get physical," answered Optimus, "swearing and insults is as far as it ever goes."

"Gotcha," agreed Smokescreen.

Figuring that he could settle the dispute between Sentinel and Ratchet, Optimus began to walk towards them. Just then, he suddenly felt a shard-like object underneath his foot. After withdrawing his foot, Optimus knelt down, picked up the object and began to inspect it. It was small and silver, but he soon noticed some markings on it; the same markings on the AllSpark. He held onto the shard and approached Sentinel and Ratchet. His presence was enough to stop the argument. They both looked at him with neutral expressions.

"What?" they asked.

"I was going to settle the dispute," explained Optimus, holding out the shard in front of them, "but then I found this."

Sentinel and Ratchet examined the shard carefully.

"Not…possible!" gasped Sentinel.

"By the AllSpark!" exclaimed Ratchet.

"Yes," agreed Sentinel, "it's part of the AllSpark, bolts for processors."

Optimus took a closer look at the shard again, and figured that Sentinel and Ratchet were probably right.

"If that's the case," expressed Optimus, "then there's still hope. But then, I wonder if there are more shards like this one."

"It's quite possible," assumed Sentinel, "that there are other shards like this one, scattered all over this planet."

"Then we gotta find them," replied Bumblebee, "before the Cons do!"

Meanwhile, Ironhide spotted some black SUVs approaching as Arcee, Chromia and Elita One returned from scouting.

"Optimus," warned Ironhide, "we got company!"

"Cons?" asked Prowl.

"I don't think so," answered Ironhide.

"Scrap!" exclaimed Sentinel, "the Pillars! I can't hide them all!"

"I'll deal with them," assured Optimus.

Optimus approached the SUVs as humans in business suits hopped out and approached the Autobots. One of them, a black-haired middle-aged man, bravely ambled towards Optimus.

"Freeze!" he shouted, "don't come any closer! Alright, guys, I want these things contained on the double! Move!"

"Are those humans?" asked Chromia.

"Probably," nodded Elita.

"I don't know what you intend to do with us," replied Optimus, "but I assure you we come in peace."

"That's what they all say," remarked a soldier, "tell it to the judge, pal."

"Scrap," muttered Prowl, "we're fragged!"

Sentinel wasted no time as he pulled out his Primax blade and shield.

"Autobots," commanded Sentinel, "defend yourselves!"

Unfortunately, before the Autobots could even respond, they found themselves surrounded by soldiers.

"Scrap," grumbled Sentinel.

Sentinel stood protectively in front of the stacks of Pillars.

"Here's the deal," proposed the agent, "come with us, and maybe we could put you to good use."

"And what would that be?" asked Optimus.

He was interrupted when he heard a soldier fire liquid nitrogen, followed by Sentinel screaming in pain and dropping to one knee as his other leg froze.

" _Nasutn'on_!" panicked Optimus.

Optimus frantically rushed to Sentinel's aid in an attempt to help him. The old mech struggled to get up, only to fall again, his frozen leg unable to support him. Optimus reached out his hand towards Sentinel, but then he was suddenly hit with liquid nitrogen himself.

"AAGH!" he shouted.

The agent sauntered up to Optimus while soldiers continued to blast the Autobots with liquid nitrogen, some of them moving in to restrain them.

"Don't even think you'll get away from us so easily, aliens," scolded the agent.

"Do you intend to harm us?" asked Optimus.

Sentinel cried out again and fell onto his side...right on top of his arm, from which Optimus heard a sickening crack, followed by another pained scream from Sentinel.

"Great," muttered Ratchet, "now I have to fix that, you idiots!"

Sentinel winced as Optimus tried to get closer, before the nitrogen was fired straight at Sentinel's head. Optimus couldn't bear to see the older mech in pain.

"Please," begged Optimus, "stop! You're hurting him!"

"Yeah, right," sneered the agent, "that's the lamest excuse I've ever heard from a machine."

"Optimus," gasped Sentinel, "I...think they will...kill us!"

Optimus wanted to say something, but he couldn't even bring himself to come up with the right words. To make matters worse, he heard trucks approaching.

"Get these things frozen for transport," ordered the agent, "and gather the cargo, too!"

For the first time ever, Optimus saw true fear in Sentinel's optics as the younger Prime held the AllSpark shard tightly in his hand. The soldiers teamed up to move the Autobots and the cargo onto the trucks. The agent pulled out his smart phone and began to make his call.

"Director Mearing?" said the agent, "this is Agent Simmons. We have captured the NBE's."

"So," asked Mearing over the phone, "what are you planning to do with them?"

"I was considering experimenting on them," answered Simmons, "unless you're willing to come up with another option."

"We'll discuss it when you get back to the base," replied Mearing.

Nodding in agreement, Simmons hung up.

After a long while of driving, the trucks and the SUVs arrived at the base. Simmons hopped out of his SUV and sauntered towards Mearing, who was waiting for him as the soldiers dragged the Autobots out of the trucks.

"So these are the NBEs?" asked Mearing, peering at the alien robots.

"Yes, ma'am, we—" nodded Simmons.

While Simmons continued to ramble about the capture, Mearing noticed one of the creatures' arm was bent at an odd angle, its face frozen in a look of pain and fear.

"I hate to interrupt," interrupted Mearing, "but did you even try to talk to them before freezing them?"

"Pffffft," answered Simmons, "no, why?"

"We don't know if they're even a threat to national security," explained Mearing, "and if we keep them frozen like that, we'll never know their intentions. Why don't you unfreeze them and let them speak to us?"

"And what if they attack us?" pestered Simmons.

"I can have the soldiers bring them down if that happens," suggested Mearing, "now, unfreeze them!"

"Fine," sighed Simmons, glancing at the soldiers, "you heard her, move it!"

Without hesitation, the soldiers stopped firing the liquid nitrogen at the Autobots. After a moment of silence, the giant robots finally gained momentum and freed themselves of the ice and stood to their feet. Sentinel sighed in relief as he caressed his injured arm. Optimus looked around, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Hey, robot!" called Mearing, "down here!"

Optimus snapped his head towards Mearing and knelt down to her level, his optics glaring into her eyes.

"Was that necessary?" growled Optimus.

"What are you talking about?" asked Mearing.

Sentinel groaned as the pain of his injury returned.

"Did you really have to freeze us to transport us here," ranted Optimus, taking a brief glance at Sentinel, "and injure some of my comrades in the process?!"

"I'm sorry to hear that," replied Mearing, "now why don't you tell us what you're doing here?"

"Injuring?" scoffed Simmons, "Mearing, are you really gonna believe that crap from a machine?"

Optimus cringed at the comment, and Sentinel's optics glared at Simmons.

"We are people," roared Sentinel, "but you humans treat us like nothing but stupid machines!"

"You heard him," remarked Mearing, "no snarky comments from you, Agent Simmons."

"Snarky comments," muttered Simmons, "my ass."

"Sentinel," requested Ratchet, "would you sit down so I can look at that arm?"

Sentinel sighed as he sat down, allowing Ratchet to inspect his arm.

"We are autonomous robotic organisms," explained Optimus, "or 'Autobots', from the planet Cybertron. We came under fire from our enemies, the Decepticons, and our ship crash landed here."

Optimus flashed the AllSpark shard to Mearing.

"We are now searching for these," continued Optimus, "for together, they form the AllSpark, an object which has the power to create worlds and fill them with life. Its power can also bring ordinary machines to life. In Decepticon hands, this would mean certain destruction for all who oppose Megatron's rule."

"So you're saying that you're dealing with an adversity that might endanger global security?" clarified Mearing.

Optimus nodded.

"I see your point," sighed Mearing.

Mearing glanced at the Pillars.

"Now," continued Mearing, gesturing to the Pillars, "about the technology in your possession…"

"Those are Pillars," explained Sentinel, "and together they form a space bridge, which I hope can help the Autobots win the war against the Decepticons."

"Optimus," sighed Ratchet, "I can't fix this right now. I don't have the proper medical equipment. He's got a multiple fracture break in his strut, along with some ruptured energon lines."

"Primus," muttered Sentinel, "I'm going to lose my arm."

"It seems that the equipment is back at the ship," assumed Optimus.

Optimus glanced at Mearing.

"With your permission," requested Optimus, "I wish to return to the ship and retrieve the rest of the cargo."

"Are you sure you're not going to wreck havoc on the citizens?" asked Mearing.

"I will not harm the humans," nodded Optimus, "I promise."

"Then I will have soldiers escort you," acknowledged Mearing.

"Thank you," smiled Optimus.

"Just a minute," paused a soldier, "what exactly do you want to get?"

"Energon supplies and our equipment," answered Optimus.

"Optimus," suggested Ratchet, "I should be the one to go. I know the medical equipment best. Along with energon, that's the thing we need the most."

"Understood," nodded Optimus, "Ratchet, Prowl, Ironhide, Jazz, Wheeljack, come with me. Smokescreen, Bumblebee, look after Sentinel."

"You got it, sir," agreed Smokescreen.

"Thank you for not leaving the whack jobs," smiled Sentinel.

"What do you mean whack jobs?" pondered Bumblebee.

"Sunstreaker and Sideswipe," clarified Sentinel, "the Lambo twins, the terror twins, double trouble, whatever you want to call those two."

"You're welcome, _Nasutn'on_ ," replied Optimus.

"What's that mean?" asked Simmons, "What'd you just say?"

"Allow me to explain," answered Prowl, " _Nasutn'on_ is the Cybertronian translation for father."

"So this one," clarified Mearing, pointing at Sentinel and then Optimus, "is the father of that one?"

"Yes," nodded Optimus.

"Interesting," mused Mearing.

Optimus, Ratchet, Prowl, Ironhide, Jazz and Wheeljack stepped outside while the soldiers accompanied them.

"We should also search for and scan alternate modes," suggested Optimus.

"What for?" asked Ironhide.

"On Earth," explained Optimus, "we should be robots in disguise."

"Gotcha," agreed Wheeljack.

Optimus, Ratchet, Ironhide, Prowl, Jazz and Wheeljack transformed into their Cybertronian alternate modes while soldiers boarded a few military trucks. Both Autobots and soldiers drove out of the base and down the road. Along the way, the Autobots scanned vehicles that passed by, and Optimus obtained a trailer. After a long hour and a half trip, they finally reached the Ark. Once the Autobots transformed into their robot modes, they stepped closer to the ship.

"Should we go in with you?" asked a soldier.

"We can find the cargo ourselves," assured Jazz, "just keep an eye out for Decepticons, ok?"

"Uh," questioned another soldier, "what's a Decepticon?"

"They have red optics, or eyes," explained Prowl, "and appear to be the same species as us."

"Only uglier," added Jazz, "and they'll try to kill you."

"Got it," nodded yet another soldier.

The Autobots meandered inside the Ark, gathering whatever supplies they could find. Ratchet found the medical equipment in his medical bay while Prowl and Ironhide carried out the energon containers. The Autobots stashed the supplies in the trailer as well as a couple of the military trucks.

"And that's the last of the supplies," sighed Ironhide.

"We should head back," suggested Ratchet, "there might be Decepticons in the area."


	2. The Search Begins

After a long trip, Optimus, Prowl, Ironhide, Ratchet, Jazz, Wheeljack and the soldiers returned to the base. The Autobots transformed into their robot modes and helped the soldiers remove the cargo from the trailer and the trucks. Ratchet retrieved his medical equipment from the trailer before setting it down.

"Now then," asked Ratchet, "is there a spare room I can use as a medbay?"

"Sorry," answered a soldier, "but we don't have rooms big enough for giant robots."

"What about a warehouse or a storage room?" suggested Bumblebee.

"We have dozens of warehouses in this base," replied a soldier, "if you want to use them, that's fine."

"That's great!" chirped Smokescreen, "thanks, pal!"

"Someone help me carry stuff over there," requested Ratchet, "Rust-bucket Prime, follow me."

"Aft," growled Sentinel, "I'll rust-bucket you in a minute."

"Da, please," murmured Optimus.

Optimus and Ironhide picked up the medical equipment before following Ratchet and Sentinel into one of the warehouses.

"Sorry, _ma t'sonyu_ ," said Sentinel, "he gets on my nerves, a lot."

"It's all right," replied Optimus.

Optimus and Ironhide set down the medical equipment.

"Alright," announced Ratchet, "now let me get to work."

Optimus and Ironhide stepped outside the warehouse while Ratchet picked out some of the equipment and began repairing Sentinel's arm.

"Those two are going to need alt modes, too," mentioned Ironhide, "Prime."

"I know," agreed Optimus, "and so do the other Autobots."

"How do you plan to seek out the shards anyway?" asked Ironhide.

"The only plan I could think of is to develop the necessary technology that can detect signals from the shards," answered Optimus.

"How are we going to do that?" insisted Ironhide.

"I could enlist Wheeljack for the job," suggested Optimus.

"And blow us up in the process?!" protested Ironhide, "the Cons would laugh."

"I understand your concern, Ironhide," replied Optimus, "I have to admit some of Wheeljack's inventions may have caused us trouble, but at least some of them do us good."

"Sure, they do," remarked Ironhide, "as long as they're being thrown at Decepticons."

"I could ask Sentinel to supervise Wheeljack," proposed Optimus, "but I would probably have to wait until his arm finishes healing."

Just then, Ratchet stepped outside.

"I finished repairing Sentinel's arm," announced Ratchet, "it should take him a few Earth weeks to heal."

"Thank you, Ratchet," smiled Optimus.

Optimus stepped inside the warehouse, where Sentinel was sitting down on one of the trailers that brought them here, his arm in a sling against his chest.

"Are you feeling ok?" Optimus asked softly, concerned.

"I've been better," answered Sentinel, "but I survived far worse."

Optimus sat down next to Sentinel and took out the AllSpark shard from his subspace compartment.

"I have yet to decide where I should store this," mentioned Optimus, "so the Decepticons cannot get their hands on it. I have also been considering developing the technology we can use to track down more of the shards."

"I will hold it for you," suggested Sentinel, "the Cons are least likely to look to me for it."

"Thank you, Sentinel," smiled Optimus.

Optimus handed the shard to Sentinel, who put it in his subspace compartment.

"Now," advised Sentinel, "I think you'd better get some rest, my child. We have much to do. I've got to talk the humans into allowing us to renovate some of these warehouses into a living area for us, since we aren't leaving anytime soon."

"I'll see you in the morning, Da," replied Optimus.

* * *

A few weeks have passed since the Autobots crash landed on Earth and got captured by Sector 7. The Autobots scanned Earth's vehicles to use for disguise, and yet they had to sleep in the hangar while in their new alternate modes since their quarters were not ready yet. Well, at least they finished renovating the medical bay with Mearing's permission, and it took several trips to the Ark and back to gather the resources for it.

At the moment, Jazz, Mirage and Smokescreen were busy renovating the living quarters while Ratchet was busy supervising Wheeljack in developing the AllSpark detector. Optimus took Bumblebee, Ironhide, Prowl, Arcee, Chromia and Elita One to patrol for Decepticons and AllSpark shards and Sentinel wandered around the base as he waited for their return. His arm has almost finished healing, and he was feeling less pain. Everything seemed to be peaceful until he saw Sideswipe and Sunstreaker scramble out of the hangar.

"Alright, you two," demanded Sentinel, "what did you do? Who did you irritate now?"

"No one," lied Sideswipe.

"We just found a wasp nest and placed it somewhere else," added Sunstreaker.

"A wasp nest?" paused Sentinel.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Mearing shouted from inside the hangar.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker tried to make a run for it, but Sentinel grabbed both of them with his hands.

"You know," scolded Sentinel, "you two are _**terrible**_ liars."

Mearing stormed out, eyes glaring at the twins.

"My apologies for their actions, miss," asserted Sentinel, "they will clean it up immediately. Isn't that right, you two?"

"Aw, scrap!" groaned Sideswipe.

"Don't you 'aw scrap' me," barked Sentinel, "I'm not through with you, yet. I heard you two complaining about sleeping in alt mode. So, since you're so eager to have it finished, _**both**_ of you can help with the renovations. You pull any slag, you answer to me. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sentinel," sighed Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.

Sentinel released the twins, allowing them to head into the hangar.

"Thank you, Sentinel," praised Mearing.

Just then, they heard an explosion from one of the warehouses.

"Not a problem, ma'am," replied Sentinel, "I survived Megatron. That'll be Wheeljack blowing slag up, again."

Wheeljack stepped outside with Ratchet following him.

"Hey, Sentinel," requested Wheeljack, "could you help me with the AllSpark detector? I have a hard time getting it right."

"Of course you have a hard time getting it right," reminded Ratchet, "because you messed it up!"

"Yeah," replied Wheeljack, "well, you could use a hand, too…"

Wheeljack quickly realized that Sentinel was still using one arm.

"Sorry, sir," apologized Wheeljack.

Sentinel didn't say anything, until he noticed the alt modes return. They transformed, revealing Optimus, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Prowl, Arcee, Chromia and Elita One as they sauntered towards the older Prime.

"We found no signs of Decepticons," reported Arcee.

"Maybe they're either not here yet," added Elita, "or they're somewhere else on this planet."

"Or, preferably," suggested Ironhide, "they crashed and died."

Some of the Autobots nodded and murmured in agreement. However…

"That still doesn't mean we should let our guard down," reminded Optimus.

"Sentinel," asked Ratchet, "how's your arm?"

"I think it's fine," answered Sentinel, "but there's a reason you're the medical officer and I'm not, so maybe you should have a look; just to be sure."

Ratchet carefully inspected Sentinel's arm.

"He's gotten so much better," said Ratchet, "but I still don't want him using it just yet."

"I take it we also won't be looking for shards yet," replied Sentinel, "since Wheeljack apparently blew up the detector."

"We will settle for searching nearby," suggested Optimus, "the humans' technology, though primitive, is good enough for that. That will give us time to create a decent detector, as well as determine the whereabouts and activities of the Decepticons."

"Let's hope they think we're dead," proclaimed Sentinel, "that way, they won't look for us. Hey, maybe they don't even know the AllSpark shattered, and they won't be looking for the shards."

"Sure," commented Ratchet, "and I'm a Seeker."

"I can hope," sighed Sentinel, "can't I?"

* * *

Meanwhile, the Nemesis hovered above the wrecked Ark. Soundwave and Megatron stood on the deck while waiting for Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp and Blitzwing to return. After a while, the Decepticon jets flew back to the deck and approached the Decepticon leader.

"We found no sign of the Autobots," reported Starscream.

"Not even their bodies?" asked Megatron.

"Nope," answered Blitzwing, "the Ark seemed…empty."

"So," muttered Megatron, "even the old one survived."

"So what should we do?" asked Thundercracker.

"We track down the Autobots," declared Megatron, "and find out whatever their schemes are."

* * *

After getting off her shift at GameStop, a young woman hopped into a taxi and requested the driver to take her home. During the ride, she heard her smart phone ringing, prompting her to answer it.

"Hey, Bailey," sang the caller over the phone, "it's me, Clayton. How was your day?"

"Same old as always," replied Bailey.

"Are you going to continue your Let's Play of Assassin's Creed 3?" asked Clayton over the phone.

"You bet I am," answered Bailey, "did you find the next hentai anime you're going to review?"

"Yeah, I was about to poke fun at Oni Chichi Rebuild," responded Clayton over the phone.

"Go ahead," nodded Bailey.

"Thanks, Bailey!" smiled Clayton over the phone, "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye," chirped Bailey.

Bailey hung up and put away her smart phone. She pulled out her headphones and her mp3 player and listened to a couple Shikata Akiko songs. Soon, the taxi arrived at an apartment building.

"Ok, miss," announced the taxi driver, "we're here."

Bailey put away her headphones and mp3 player before hopping out of the taxi. She pulled out her wallet and handed the taxi driver some cash.

"Will this be enough?" asked Bailey.

"Yeah, it's enough," answered the taxi driver, "have a good day."

The taxi drove away as Bailey ambled towards the apartment building. Once inside the building, she came across one of her neighbors.

"Hello," smiled the neighbor, "how are you doing?"

"Just fine," replied Bailey.

"Say," asked the neighbor, "did you hear that a spacecraft crashed outside Virginia Beach a few weeks ago?"

"You mean aliens?" commented Bailey, "that's bullshit!"

"What," teased the neighbor, "you don't believe in aliens?"

"I thought they only exist in movies," objected Bailey, "and I'll bet that Roswell event was just a conspiracy."

"You keep telling yourself that," warned the neighbor, "you'll never know until an alien pops at your door. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going."

Without saying anything further, the neighbor sauntered by. Bailey continued her trek until she was finally in her apartment. It was small and there were still boxes around the room. Apparently, she hasn't completely settled in yet. After grabbing a small package of Ritz crackers, she turned on her PS3 and loaded a game disk into the console. She then turned on her computer as the game loaded and after loading her save file, she began recording.

"Hello, viewers," sang Bailey, "and welcome back to Let's Play Assassin's Creed 3."

* * *

Meanwhile, Sentinel, Optimus, Prowl, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Jazz, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Arcee, Chromia and Elita One drove through the city, looking for AllSpark shards. So far, they only found a few of them. Maybe this could be their lucky day. But then, Sentinel checked his radar and noticed a Decepticon presence somewhere in the city. He led Optimus and Ironhide to a secluded place, where they transformed into their robot modes.

"Optimus, Ironhide," requested Sentinel, "I need you two to alert the others. There's a Con nearby. My energon signature will mask that of the shards, but I need a diversion so I can get them back to base."

"I'll show him my cannons!" bellowed Ironhide, arming his cannons.

"Great," warned Sentinel, "but be careful. I'm only picking up one, but you know how Cons are."

"Where there is one," muttered Optimus, "there are always more."

Just as Optimus finished his sentence, Blitzwing flew out of the sky, transformed into his robot mode and landed right behind them.

"I'm rather surprised that you Autobots survived," hissed Blitzwing, "you're supposed to be dead!"

Sentinel, Optimus and Ironhide turned around.

"We thought the same about you," snarled Sentinel, "Decepti-scum!"

Blitzwing prepared his cannon, but Ironhide quickly shot at the Decepticon, forcing him to dodge it. Sentinel seized this chance by transforming into his alternate mode and speeding away.

"Hahahaha," cackled Blitzwing, "you Autobots are so predictable. Old Man Prime must be hiding something. And if an Autobot is hiding it, Megatron will want it. Seeya!"

Blitzwing transformed and flew after the Rosenbauer Panther. Sentinel turned his rear view mirror until he saw his pursuer.

"Scrap!" growled Sentinel.

Thinking fast, he veered off the road and sped into an underground train tunnel.

"Wheels beats wings down here," Sentinel told himself.

But then, he quickly realized there was an incoming train, forcing him to drive out of the way. Fortunately, the train missed and he continued to drive through the tunnel.

Back outside, Optimus, Ironhide, Prowl, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Jazz, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Arcee, Chromia and Elita One gathered just at the edge of a suburb.

"There's Cons here?" warbled Arcee, "great, just what we need!"

"Yeah," nodded Ironhide, "but it's just Blitzwing, no one important."

"Wrong," corrected Chromia, "Bonecrusher is in a construction site. He didn't see us, though."

"Hey," asked Sunstreaker, "where's Sentinel? We got some shards for him."

"I believe he went that way," answered Optimus, pointing in a direction.

Just as he spoke, a pair of fighter jets, flying rather low, streaked past in the direction Optimus pointed.

"Oh, frag," muttered Ironhide, "they're going after Sentinel!"

"Autobots," commanded Optimus, "roll out!"

Optimus and the other Autobots transformed into their alternate modes and drove in the direction Optimus pointed, determined to reach Sentinel before the Decepticons do.

Sentinel made it out of the tunnel, only to find that he is being pursued by Decepticon jets.

"Slag," muttered Sentinel.


	3. Meeting Bailey

Bailey sighed as she finished recording another video of her gameplay. After she stopped recording, she saved her progress and checked her time. Maybe she should start making dinner. While she turned off her PS3 and her computer, she heard a loud noise from outside. Maybe some wannabe rock band was practicing in their garage? She brushed it off, which was a bad idea because the next thing she knew, she felt a brief heavy vibration from the ground.

"Ugh," growled Bailey, "is this some sort of joke?"

Bailey stomped out of her apartment and then outside the building to investigate. To her shock, a red robot with drapes struggled to get back to his feet as a red-eyed robot cornered him. To avoid being seen, she hid around a corner of the building.

Sentinel glared his optics at Megatron as the Decepticon Leader loomed over him.

"You _**will**_ tell me, Autobot scum!" roared Megatron, "What are you hiding?!"

Megatron threw Sentinel hard against the building. The older mech let out a pained grunt as his back slammed into the building. A few silvery pieces of…something…fell underneath him, catching the Decepticon Leader's red optics.

"Well, well, well," sneered Megatron, "what have we here?"

"No," gasped Sentinel.

Megatron knelt down and picked up one of the pieces before inspecting it closely.

"So…you're looking for shards of the AllSpark," laughed Megatron, "you really should've taken my deal. You would make a great Decepticon."

"Get fragged," snarled Sentinel, "Con!"

Sentinel hissed in pain as Megatron gripped his neck tighter.

"Oh," growled Megatron, "so unwise."

Optimus and the others pulled up just in time for the Autobot leader to see the barrel of Megatron's weapon press against Sentinel's head, the trigger about to be pulled.

"No!" panicked Optimus.

Optimus charged as he pulled out his cannon. He fired at Megatron's back, causing the Decepticon leader to shout in pain as he released Sentinel from his grip. Enraged, Megatron glared his optics at the younger Prime.

"PRIME!" shouted Megatron.

Megatron turned his attack on Optimus.

"Mine!" barked Sentinel.

Seizing the opportunity, Sentinel swiped the shards from Megatron and made a run for it, only to be snatched up by the four jets.

"Ach!" yelled Sentinel, "get off me, you fraggin' cyberturkeys!"

"Not a chance, old bot," sneered Starscream.

Sentinel freed one of his hands, pulled out his Primax blade and slashed at the jets, forcing them to let go. He landed on his feet as Megatron and Optimus clashed against each other in battle.

Meanwhile, Bailey crept from her hiding spot and gazed at the fray. Ugh, that crazy neighbor was right! She didn't expect to be caught in the middle of a war, especially involving alien robots. She grimaced at the sight of the damaged apartment building, not paying attention to the small silver shard near her foot. While trying to figure out how she could take action, she heard heavy footsteps approaching her.

"It's not safe here."

Startled, Bailey snapped her head at Sentinel, who stared down at the small human, awaiting her response. It seemed apparent that her presence caught his attention.

"What do you mean it's not safe here?" demanded Bailey, "it's not my fault those psychos are attacking my home!"

"The Decepticons don't care that it's your home," warned Sentinel, "they will kill you just the same, should they find you."

"Like I give a damn!" spat Bailey.

Just as she spoke, a nearby explosion startled her, causing her to stumble, but she quickly regained her posture. Her foot somehow stepped on the shard, its texture catching her attention.

"Huh?!" warbled Bailey.

Bailey moved her foot and noticed the object. Curious, she picked it up and carefully inspected it.

Meanwhile, Blitzwing charged at Optimus in an attempt to distract him from Megatron, but Prowl quickly body slammed the Con.

"Not on my watch," thundered Prowl, "you slagger!"

Bailey figured that maybe she should get to safety, so she crept closer to the building, but Megatron shoved Optimus aside and focused his optics on Sentinel.

"Return the shards at once!" demanded Megatron.

"Over my dead body, Megatron!" roared Sentinel.

Megatron charged at Sentinel, but the older mech swung his Primax blade at the Decepticon leader, making its mark in his side. Megatron roared in pain and dropped to his knees, startling Bailey to the point where she dropped the shard. The Decepticon leader attempted to reach for it, but the human quickly snatched the shard before he could get his claw on it. Suddenly, the shard began glowing as she felt it heating up.

"The fuck?!" exclaimed Bailey.

"What the frag?" muttered Sentinel.

The shard instantly merged with Bailey's digital wristwatch, morphing it into what appeared to be a bracer, much to Sentinel and Megatron's surprise and Bailey's frustration.

"Damn it," groaned Bailey, "now I need a new watch!"

As Bailey struggled to yank the bracer off, Megatron took notice of the human.

"Interesting," mused Megatron, "maybe this little fleshling can help us collect the shards."

Just then, Optimus sprinted toward Megatron and blocked his path.

"Out of the way, Optimus!" barked Megatron, "the AllSpark is mine!"

"Sentinel," ordered Optimus, "get out of here!"

Sentinel quickly turned around and grabbed Bailey before making a run for it.

"He has the AllSpark shards!" bellowed Megatron, "get him!"

"Scrap!" muttered Sentinel.

Sentinel transformed into his alternate mode, securing Bailey in the driver seat.

"Hold on," announced Sentinel, "I'm breaking every traffic law in the book."

His tires squealed as he tore out onto the road. Bailey peered down and saw that the gas pedal appeared to be glued to the floor. He really was breaking traffic laws!

"Are you kidding?" protested Bailey, "you could get in trouble for that, you idiot! What if you end up causing accidents because of your reckless driving?!"

"I'm pretty sure there are no laws regarding cars that are highly intelligent supercomputer-like organisms from another planet," remarked Sentinel.

Well, he had a point there. Sentinel turned his mirror, showing Bailey the few Cons chasing them.

"Besides," continued Sentinel, "would you rather hang back with them? They break _**every**_ law, not just the traffic ones."

"I didn't sign up for alien abductions," muttered Bailey.

"So what am I supposed to do?" countered Sentinel, "let that afthole Megatron have you? Not a chance. Stay with me and you'll live."

Once they reached a safe distance and found a suitable hiding place, Sentinel let out Bailey before transforming into his robot mode. Fortunately, the Decepticons passed by without noticing them.

"Heh," chuckled Sentinel softly, "dumbafts."

"Ok," demanded Bailey, "I have the right to know what's going on, so spill it! How did I become the center of attention all of a sudden?"

Sentinel pointed at the bracer on Bailey's right wrist.

"That," explained Sentinel, "the AllSpark shard you now carry. Megatron wishes to use its power to turn all machines into an army to serve him in conquering this and all other worlds."

"When will it be safe to return to my apartment?" asked Bailey.

"That's the problem," answered Sentinel, "thanks to Megajerk and his slaggers, there is no apartment to return to."

"Ugh," groaned Bailey, "then how am I supposed to get my stuff?"

"We'll wait here until the Cons have retreated," suggested Sentinel.

Meanwhile, the Autobots and Decepticons were still fighting each other. Optimus was frantically searching for the Decepticon leader who disappeared on him.

"Megatron," shouted Optimus, "show yourself!"

Ironhide charged at Bonecrusher while flashing his cannons.

"Feelin' lucky, punk?" growled Ironhide.

Both of them engaged in a brawl.

Sunstreaker jumped onto Starscream while Sideswipe jumped onto Thundercracker.

"Hey Sides, look!" chirped Sunstreaker, "I'm doing the giant-stupid-deranged-ugly-chicken dance!"

"It's a bird," added Sideswipe, "it's a plane, it's….STUPIDNESS!"

The twins jumped off both Cons as they crashed into the ground.

"Finally," sighed Prowl, "their talent for being annoying proves useful."

Starscream and Thundercracker got back to their feet, only to have Bumblebee and Smokescreen aiming blasters at their faces.

"You're not going anywhere, Cons!" bellowed Bumblebee.

"Yeah," nodded Smokescreen, "what he said!"

Megatron continued to search the neighborhood for AllSpark shards, but to his dismay, there weren't any lying around. The Decepticon leader eventually met up with Blitzwing.

"Tell the other Decepticons to retreat," ordered Megatron, "we will be looking elsewhere for AllSpark shards."

"Right away, Lord Megatron," nodded Blitzwing.

To the Autobots' surprise, the Decepticons retreated. Optimus activated his com-link.

"Sentinel," instructed Optimus, "the Decepticons are in retreat. Return to base."

"Good," replied Sentinel over the com-link, "because I'm getting sick of the lecture I'm receiving on good driving. I swear to Primus, it's worse than when Bumblebee gets radio feedback."

Sentinel shut off his com-link before returning his gaze to Bailey.

"The Cons are retreating," said Sentinel, "come with me."

"I'm still not leaving my stuff behind," reminded Bailey.

"Why not?" asked Sentinel.

Bailey lowered her head.

"Because I can't afford to replace all of it," answered Bailey, "not even with my insurance."

Sighing, Sentinel reactivated the com-link.

"Optimus," announced Sentinel, "I have to get some essentials from the human's apartment first, then I'll be on my way there."

"Understood," nodded Optimus over the com-link, "I'll request Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Jazz, Ironhide and Prowl to help you. I'll send the others back."

"Thank you," smiled Sentinel.

Sentinel shut off his com-link and transformed into his alternate mode. Bailey climbed in and buckled up, and then the Rosenbauer Panther drove out of the hiding place and towards her apartment building. Once Bailey stepped out of the alt mode, she wandered into her apartment to inspect the damage. Well, there was a dent in the wall of her bedroom.

"Ugh," groaned Bailey, "my landlord is going to kill me."

Bailey headed out of her apartment and stepped outside the building. She approached Sentinel, Optimus, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Jazz, Ironhide and Prowl.

"How many trips should I take?" asked Bailey.

"One," answered Optimus, gesturing to the trailer next to him.

"Thanks," smiled Bailey, "it's only a small apartment, but still. Can I get any volunteers?"

"We'll all help," suggested Sentinel.

To her surprise, miniature versions of the Autobots appeared out of nowhere in front of her. Are those holograms?

"What are those?" asked Bailey.

"They're called holoforms," explained Jazz, "we do have human ones, but we'd rather not use them here in case someone is taking pictures or video."

"Thanks," smiled Bailey.

Bailey and the Autobot holoforms entered the apartment and carried the items to the trailer, which took them an hour and a half. Once they finished, the sun was already setting as Optimus closed the trailer door.

"Thanks for your help," praised Bailey.

"Not a problem," replied Sentinel, "lead the way, Optimus."

Optimus, Sentinel and the other Autobots transformed into their alt modes, the trailer hitching to the Peterbilt semi truck. Bailey hopped into the Rosenbauer Panther and buckled up, allowing the Autobots to drive out of the neighborhood just as the police were arriving to investigate the incident. After a while of driving, they returned to the base. Bailey hopped out while they transformed. She was so focused on her new surroundings; she didn't pay attention to the elderly woman emerging outside to greet the Autobots.

"Did you—" asked Mearing.

"Yes, we have," answered Sentinel, cutting her off.

"All right, then," demanded Mearing, "where are the shards?"

Sentinel and Sunstreaker set down the AllSpark shards.

"Unfortunately," explained Optimus, "we also discovered the Decepticons and they found out we are looking for the AllSpark shards. I fear that finding more of them will not be easy from now on."

"Oh great," muttered Mearing sarcastically, "as if that's going to make my day."

"Excuse me," interrupted Bailey, "but if I can't go back to my apartment, where should I sleep?"

"Frag," muttered Sentinel, "we didn't think of that."

Mearing glanced at Bailey before returning her gaze at Sentinel.

"Sentinel," scolded Mearing, "you must be stupider than I thought, bringing a damn _**civilian**_ here!"

"Hey," reminded Sentinel, pointing at the bracer on Bailey's wrist, "you try getting the shards while the place is crawling with Cons shooting at you. Plus, one of the shards merged with her device and now she can't get it off, and she needs answers as to just who the Pit we are and why those fraggers were even there trashing the place."

Bailey didn't know the meaning of 'Pit' or 'fraggers', but she suspected that they were swear words. She snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed Mearing took a few steps closer to her.

"I don't know how you ended up in this mess," warned Mearing, "but if you tell anyone about this, you'll do time for treason."

Bailey flinched at Mearing's words. She was so screwed!

"You got it," nodded Bailey, "ma'am."

Nodding without saying anything, Mearing sauntered back into the hangar while Optimus focused his optics on Bailey.

"Come with us," instructed Optimus.

"Ok," nodded Bailey.

Sentinel picked up the AllSpark shards and led Bailey and Optimus into his warehouse, with an extremely obvious limp in his left leg while the Autobot leader dragged the trailer. Once inside the warehouse, they set down their items and knelt down to her level.

"We are autonomous organisms from the planet Cybertron," said Optimus, "or Autobots for short. My name is Optimus Prime, and you have already met my father, Sentinel Prime."

"Oh," replied Bailey, "my name's Bailey. What were those guys that attacked my neighborhood?"

"Decepticons," answered Sentinel, "led by my oldest son, sadly. Evil creatures, sparks corrupted by darkness."

"Oldest son?" pondered Bailey, confused.

"Megatron," clarified Optimus.

"So," asked Bailey, "how did you come here in the first place?"

"My spacecraft, the Ark," answered Sentinel.

"Could you show it to me sometime?" requested Bailey, "I would love to see it for myself."

Optimus shook his head, and then his optics flickered and displayed a hologram image of the Ark.

"At least," affirmed Optimus, "that's what it looked like before we crashed."

"What happened?" questioned Bailey, "was it shot down or something?"

"Yes," explained Sentinel, "our engines were damaged as we entered hyperspace, and when we came out of hyperspace, the engines wouldn't work. Thus, we were caught by this planet's gravity."

"Oh," breathed Bailey, "I see."

Bailey pulled her smart phone from her bag to check the time, and heard her stomach grumble.

"What was that noise?" asked Sentinel, surprised.

"I guess that's a sign that I'm starting to get hungry," remarked Bailey, "can I go get something to eat?"


	4. The First Human Friend

While Optimus took Bailey out to get her something to eat, Sentinel sat in the medical bay while Ratchet examined him.

"Are you gonna keep me one armed for life?" asked Sentinel.

"I might if you don't shut your grille and let me do my fraggin job," answered Ratchet.

"Watch it, doc bot," warned Sentinel, "you know I can still kick your aft."

"Primus, Ratchet," groaned Ironhide, "just fix him and stop complaining."

Ratchet eventually finished repairing the wounds Sentinel received from battle.

"There," advised Ratchet, "now why don't you take it easy and get some rest? I'm sure Optimus will handle finding more shards."

"So will the Cons," added Sentinel, "the more of us there are searching, the more we'll find, and the sooner we'll find them. I need gas and tires anyway."

"He said gas," snickered Sideswipe.

Sunstreaker made a fart noise, earning a glare from Sentinel and a thrown wrench from Ratchet.

"Ow!" yelped Sunstreaker.

"Show him some respect!" scolded Ratchet.

Without saying anything, Sentinel stepped outside the medical bay and ambled towards his warehouse. Just then, Bailey returned to the same warehouse.

"Hey, Sentinel," asked Bailey, "you still haven't found a place for me to sleep yet?"

"You can stay with me," suggested Sentinel, "I'll keep the music volume turned down. Did you have a good meal?"

"Yeah," nodded Bailey, "can I go get something from the trailer?"

Sentinel opened the trailer door and set down the ramp, allowing Bailey to wander into the trailer. After a short while of searching, she pulled out her pajamas, pillow, sleeping bag and a box. She set them down before returning her glance at Sentinel.

"I'm going to get changed," requested Bailey, "could you look away? I feel uncomfortable when someone sees me naked."

"All right," agreed Sentinel.

The older Prime looked away, allowing Bailey to step into the trailer and then change out of her clothes and into her pajamas. Once she finished, she stepped out of the trailer.

"Ok," announced Bailey, "I'm ready."

"Right this way, then," beckoned Sentinel.

Sentinel slowly headed into his warehouse, his left leg limp catching the human's attention again. Bailey took a few trips to carry her items into the warehouse. Once inside, she noticed the AllSpark shards were still on the ground.

"What are you going to do with the pieces of metal?" asked Bailey.

"The shards?" explained Sentinel, "assuming we get them all, we plan to use the AllSpark's power to rebuild our home planet so that we may go back home someday."

"Aren't you going to put them away, though?" questioned Bailey.

Sentinel knelt down, scooped up the shards and placed them in his subspace compartment before standing back to his feet.

"I already did," replied Sentinel.

Bailey carefully laid out her sleeping bag. Sentinel transformed into his alt mode and opened his door.

"Here," offered Sentinel, transforming into his alt mode and opening his door, "my seats are probably more comfortable than that floor."

Bailey carried her pillow and sleeping bag as she climbed into the Rosenbauer Panther. After laying the sleeping bag on the seats, she squirmed into it and began to doze off.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Nemesis, Megatron approached Soundwave, who was typing on the computer.

"So, Soundwave," asked Megatron, "did you find any more AllSpark shards in the area where we found the Autobots?"

"Negative, Lord Megatron," answered Soundwave, "however, you did manage to get a tracer on the Autobot who has them, though that wouldn't be necessary if those jet fools had gotten their job done."

"Well, yes," nodded Megatron, "but I suspect that there are more shards scattered all over the planet. I believe Sentinel and his Autobots would go after them."

"Are you suggesting we let the Autobots lead us to the shards, my lord?" asked Soundwave.

"Of course," suggested Megatron, "on top of that, we will have to come up with a way to swipe the shards from Sentinel."

"Yes," hissed Soundwave, "perhaps Shockwave can help with that. I'll keep watch on the Autobot."

* * *

The following morning, Bailey stepped outside after having her breakfast. While ambling towards Sentinel's warehouse, she noticed the two Primes conversing with each other. She reached just enough proximity to catch their attention.

"Oh," chirped Bailey, "morning, guys."

"Morning," replied Sentinel, leaning on his right leg.

"So, what are you guys talking about?" asked Bailey.

"We've been discussing if we should use the Pillars to teleport to the shards scattered across the planet," answered Optimus, "once we have finished the AllSpark detector."

"Wait, Pillars?" paused Bailey, confused, "you mean the ones that hold up buildings?"

"The Pillars we're talking about creates a space bridge," clarified Sentinel, "it's basically a teleportation device."

"Sounds like you guys are far more advanced than we are," mused Bailey.

"We are," agreed Sentinel, "far more advanced. Your smart phone is the equivalent of a stone tablet to us."

"Ha ha," grumbled Bailey in a sarcastic tone, "very funny. By the way, I have to be at GameStop in a few hours, so could you have someone take me there?"

"GameStop?" pondered Optimus.

"It's a store that sells video games," explained Bailey, "and I work there."

"Bumblebee," called Sentinel, "got a job for you!"

Within a flash, Bumblebee appeared before Sentinel.

"What is it, Sentinel?" chirped Bumblebee.

"Can you take Bailey to work?" requested Sentinel, "and stay there to make sure the Cons don't come after her."

"Leave it to me," acknowledged Bumblebee, "where is this Bailey?"

Sentinel pointed at Bailey, prompting Bumblebee to focus his optics on the small human.

"Uh," stammered Bailey, "hi, there."

"Bumblebee's great," assured Sentinel, "you'll like him."

"Hi," chirped Bumblebee, "uh, you know how to get there, right? None of us do."

"I could show you the address," suggested Bailey, "and maybe provide the directions."

Bailey pulled out her smart phone and scrolled to the map, which displayed the location of her workplace. Satisfied, she flashed the screen to Bumblebee.

"Will this do?" asked Bailey, "I have plenty of time to get ready before I have to go."

Bumblebee studied the screen for a moment.

"That's great!" chirped Bumblebee, "I have a GPS, courtesy of Dr. Grouchygears."

"Uh, who?" paused Bailey.

"Ratchet," clarified Sentinel and Optimus.

"I see," requested Bailey, "I'll go get ready then. Could you introduce me to this Ratchet before I go?"

"You remember the puke green ambulance you saw when we first pulled in?" mentioned Sentinel, "that was him."

"And he's a total grouch," added Bumblebee, "all…the…time!"

"I don't think I paid attention to any ambulances on your team," admitted Bailey, "excuse me for a moment!"

Bailey sprinted into Sentinel's warehouse and gathered her items into her messenger bag before stepping back outside.

"Since I only have an hour and a half left before I have to go," said Bailey, "I'm still interested in meeting your medic."

"Oooooh boy," muttered Sentinel, "this should be fun. Who wants to go get the Hatchet for her?"

"You could always fake a medical problem," suggested Bumblebee.

"Or maybe you could show me where his warehouse is," proposed Bailey.

"If you insist," sighed Sentinel.

Optimus, Sentinel and Bumblebee led Bailey towards the medical bay, where Ratchet was busy fixing Mirage's hand.

"Excuse me," interrupted Bumblebee, "do you have a moment?"

"No, I do not," grumbled Ratchet, "thanks to the fragging double trouble. Apparently they pulled a prank of some sort and now I have to fix Mirage's hand!"

"We were going to introduce you to our new human friend," explained Optimus.

"Really?" warbled Mirage, "I hope she's friendly."

"Of course she is," nodded Sentinel while facepalming, "That's why they're called 'friends'."

Bailey took a few steps into the medical bay towards Ratchet, who focused his optics on the small human.

"You must be Ratchet, right?" smiled Bailey, "nice to meet you, I'm Bailey."

"And I'm busy," growled Ratchet.

Ratchet grabbed another tool while swearing about the twins. Bailey stepped outside of the medical bay.

"I don't know what his problem is," sighed Bailey, "but even if I did, maybe I shouldn't bother him about it."

Bailey focused her eyes on Optimus.

"Say," asked Bailey, "if you guys are Autobots, how long have you been fighting these Decepticons?"

"Longer than I've been alive," answered Sentinel, "eons."

"The war destroyed our planet," added Optimus.

"That sounds awful," breathed Bailey, "and you said that you're looking for these AllSpark shards, right? How did they get here?"

"The Cube was launched into space in an attempt to end the war," explained Optimus, "instead, it just moved the war to other worlds."

Optimus lowered his head with sadness in his optics.

"Here now, _t'sonyu_ ," assured Sentinel, "your spark was in the right place. You were only trying to spare more lives. No one can blame you for that."

Sentinel gently embraced Optimus. The younger Prime found that he was comforted this way, so he returned the embrace.

"It'll be all right," murmured Sentinel, "we just need to get those shards back."

"I know," replied Optimus.

After a moment, Sentinel released Optimus from his embrace.

"Maybe I oughta supervise the development of the AllSpark detector," mumbled Sentinel.

"Can I pull out some of my stuff until it's time to go?" requested Bailey.

"Of course," nodded Sentinel, "Optimus will help you if you need it."

"Well, all right," reminded Optimus, "but your warehouse is scheduled to be renovated this week, isn't it?"

"Well, yes," agreed Sentinel.

Optimus led Bailey into Sentinel's warehouse, where they began moving some items out of the trailer.

"Say," asked Bailey, "do any of the warehouses have power outlets?"

"I believe so," nodded Optimus, "why?"

"So that way I can use my gaming consoles," answered Bailey, "before the Decepticons attacked yesterday, I was recording some Let's Play videos of Assassin's Creed 3."

"Is this entirely necessary?" objected Optimus, "Sentinel needs a computer terminal in his quarters, and I had planned on installing it today."

"Well," suggested Bailey, "is there some way where Sentinel can use his computer and I can use whatever power outlets are left for my computer and my consoles?"

"We'll see," replied Optimus, "I'll have to okay it with the soldiers. They pay the electric bill, and I hear game systems use up a lot of electricity."

"Ugh," groaned Bailey, "should I contribute to their electric bill, too?"

Optimus didn't say anything, but he and Bailey continued to move stuff out of the trailer. Eventually, she checked her smart phone.

"Oh, that's right," exclaimed Bailey, "it's almost time for me to go!"

As if on cue, a yellow Camaro pulled up and beeped its horn.

"Oh," chirped Bailey, "is that Bumblebee?"

Bailey sprinted towards Bumblebee and hopped into the front seat before buckling up.

"You can adjust the radio and stuff if you want," rambled Bumblebee, "I don't mind."

"Eh," stammered Bailey, "I usually don't listen to radio."

Bumblebee drove out of the base while Bailey pulled out her mp3 player and her headphones. Along the way, she listened to a couple of songs from Phil Collins. Before long, the yellow Camaro arrived at the parking lot to GameStop. Bailey put away her mp3 player and hopped out.

"I'll see you later!" called Bailey.

Bailey sprinted towards the store. Once inside, she set on to begin her shift. After an hour has passed, a man with medium blond hair and a pink hoodie walked into the store. Of course, she recognized him.

"Oh," chirped Bailey, "morning, Clayton!"

"Morning, Bailey," smiled Clayton, "did you record your latest Let's Play videos?"

"Yeah," nodded Bailey, "but sadly, some freak incident prevented me from uploading it onto Youtube and now I can't live in my apartment anymore."

"Well, that sucks," remarked Clayton, "will you be able to upload the videos?"

"I hope so," muttered Bailey.

"Say," asked Clayton, "could you tell me more about that freak incident of yours that kicked you out of your apartment?"

"Sorry," answered Bailey, "classified information."

"You mean," pondered Clayton, "something to do with national security?"

"I mean," clarified Bailey, "I would go to jail for the rest of my life for telling you classified."

"Ok," muttered Clayton, "I won't ask you anything, then."

"So," asked Bailey, "what brings you here?"

"My cousin's Birthday is in a couple of weeks," explained Clayton, "and I was planning to get him Super Smash Bros for the 3DS. Could you see if you have it available?"

"No problem!" smiled Bailey, "I'll help you find it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nasutn'on - father  
> T'sonyu - son  
> T'alnyon - brother


	5. Military Ambush

Blitzwing and Blackout were flying in the middle of a vast desert.

"Zere is a human military base not too far from here," mentioned Blitzwing, "vould you mind going and completely devastating zat?"

"Of course," agreed Blackout, "maybe we'll find some shards there."

"Vell," replied Blitzwing, "if nothing else, it's good target practice."

At the Soccent Forward Operations base, a group of soldiers dismounted a helicopter and headed towards the building. One of them went into the communications tent.

"Is my wife on?" asked Lennox.

"No," teased a smartass soldier, "yo mama."

"Shut up," barked a soldier, "he's our boss."

Lennox stepped towards the computer with a webcam, where a woman and her baby were waiting on the screen.

"Ah," smiled Lennox, "my ladies!"

The baby squealed and flapped a hand at the screen, smiling at him.

"Oh my goodness," continued Lennox, "look at her. She's getting so big! Honey, we made a good-looking kid. I know that people say it all the time, but wow! We made one good-looking kid."

"She has your laugh," mentioned the woman.

"She laughed?!" exclaimed Lennox.

"Her first one, yeah," nodded the woman.

"You…you sure she didn't just fart?" asked Lennox.

Lennox heard some snickers from the other soldiers.

"No," answered the woman, "she's a lady. She doesn't know you yet, but she will."

Meanwhile, at the control tower, some operators have noticed some unusual signals on the radar.

"Colonel Sharp," reported an operator, "we have two inbound unidentified infiltrators, ten miles out."

"What the hell?" exclaimed Colonel Sharp.

Colonel Sharp leaned over the operator's shoulders to glance at the radar. Of course, there were two flashing lights on the radar.

"Unidentified aircraft," warned Colonel Sharp, "you are in restricted US military airspace. Squawk ident and proceed east out of the area."

Much to Colonel Sharp's disappointment, the flashing lights were still maneuvering towards the base.

"Any ideas?" asked an operator.

"Yeah," ordered Colonel Sharp, "scramble fighters to intercept. Escort them to the designated landing area. All units on guard. Use deadly force only as a last resort."

Upon cue, two raptor jets took off and intercepted the two mysterious military aircrafts. Little did they know, there weren't any pilots inside. Eventually, the mysterious aircrafts landed as the soldiers scrambled outside to investigate, including Lennox.

"What have we got?" asked Lennox.

"I think we got some mystery guests, if you ask me," joked Epps.

"Please step out of the aircraft," ordered a soldier, "if you refuse to cooperate, we will use deadly force!"

Upon cue, the mysterious aircrafts powered down. But…

"Deadly force my aft!" scoffed Blackout.

Suddenly, Blackout and Blitzwing transformed into their robot modes, startling the soldiers.

"Oh, shit," muttered Lennox.

"Vat should ve mess up first, Blackout?" crooned Blitzwing.

"I say we kill all these puny fleshlings!" cackled Blackout, "hahahahaha!"

"Ooh," grinned Blitzwing, "zat sounds like fun!"

Blitzwing let out a maniacal laugh before he and Blackout proceeded to shoot at the soldiers.

"Open fire!" shouted a soldier.

The soldiers wasted no time as they fired at the Decepticons.

"Ooh," taunted Blitzwing, "zey think zese things can hurt us, Blackout. Zat's funny."

While Blitzwing blew up a few military trucks, Blackout unleashed a shockwave that shattered the windows of the control tower, forcing its occupants to shield themselves from the sharp fragments of glass.

"They've bombed the antenna farm," shouted Epps, "we're under attack!"

"Oops," teased Blitzwing, "I stepped on some!"

Blitzwing and Blackout continued to assault the base as some soldiers struggled to get civilians to safety. Other soldiers moved in to fight against the Decepticons in a futile attempt to take them down.

"This is not good," muttered Colonel Sharp, "we need to send a message to Pentagon."

"How are we gonna do that?" protested an operator, "all communications are down!"

"Damn it," growled Colonel Sharp, "fine, evacuate the survivors!"

"Yes sir!" nodded an operator.

"Hey," mentioned another operator, "I still got cell service!"

"If it will allow us to reach the Pentagon," declared Colonel Sharp, "then we'd better use it."

One of the operators handed Colonel Sharp a cell phone.

"Here," he said.

Colonel Sharp wasted no time as he began contacting the Pentagon.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Pentagon, John Keller heard his cell phone ringing, prompting him to answer it.

"Yes?" said Keller.

"This is Colonel Sharp from Soccent Forward Operations base," reported Colonel Sharp over the phone, "we're under attack!"

"From terrorists?" asked Keller.

"No," answered Colonel Sharp over the phone, "we have two giant killer robots blowing up the base!"

"Giant robots?" paused Keller, "what the hell are you people smoking out there? There's no such thing, except in comic books and sci-fi novels!"

"I'm serious," countered Colonel Sharp over the phone, "my soldiers are getting slaughtered out here!"

"Then maybe you'd like to tell me where these 'killer robots' came from," suggested Keller.

"All right," replied Colonel Sharp over the phone, "the robots have the ability to transform into different vehicles, even—"

Keller heard an explosion from the receiver before the signal came to an abrupt end. Just then, Simmons entered the room, catching Keller's attention.

"Who the hell are you," demanded Keller, "and how did you get in here, sir?"

"I'm Agent Simmons," answered Simmons, flashing his badge, "I'm from Sector 7."

"Never heard of it," groaned Keller, "what the hell do you want? And make it quick. I think you can see that I'm very busy."

"A few weeks ago," explained Simmons, "we have captured a bunch of NBEs, or Non-biological extraterrestrials. After bringing them to our base of operation, the director made negotiations with them."

"Your point?" asked Keller.

"We have alien robots among us," clarified Simmons.

Simmons opened his briefcase and pulled out some photos which he flashed in front of Keller.

"These are the aliens we captured," said Simmons.

"Look, sir," barked Keller, "I don't have time for Photoshop pranks. Now unless you have one here, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

"Would it make you feel better if I took you to where we are holding the aliens?" suggested Simmons.

"You show me a living breathing alien," urged Keller, "then we'll talk. Otherwise, I'm very busy."

"You'll have to come outside for that," advised Simmons, "you'll thank me."

Sighing, Keller followed Simmons out of the building. They approached a police car.

"Ok, Prowl," ordered Simmons, "it's time to come out!"

Upon cue, Prowl transformed into his robot mode, much to Keller's surprise.

"And," assumed Keller, "these are what are attacking the Qatar base?"

"It sounds like you have a Decepticon problem," replied Prowl, "would you like me to relay the information to Optimus?"

"Who?" exclaimed Keller, confused, "Decepti-whats?"

"The NBE's we captured call themselves Autobots," clarified Simmons, "and their enemies are called Decepticons. The Decepticons are also NBE's, but evil. The Autobots are the good guys."

"Well," requested Keller, "can you tell me how to kill them? There's two trashing a base in Qatar, and Colonel Sharp has no idea what to do."

"Not to worry," assured Prowl, "we have the means to transport our allies to the destination within the blink of an eye, and we can take care of those Cons. What is the name of the base?"

"The Soccent Forward Operations base," answered Keller.

"You got it," nodded Prowl.

Prowl wasted no time as he activated his com-link.

"Sentinel Prime?" called Prowl, "this is Prowl, and we have a situation involving Decepticons."

* * *

Back at the base, Optimus finished installing a computer terminal in Sentinel's warehouse. Just then, Sentinel entered the warehouse.

"Sentinel!" exclaimed Optimus.

"Optimus," reported Sentinel, "Prowl says we got Con trouble. Location: US Soccent Forward Operations Base, Qatar."

"I had the computer terminal installed like you requested," replied Optimus, "although, I suppose we can't let the Decepticons cause any further chaos. I'll get Ironhide and Smokescreen."

Upon cue, Ironhide and Smokescreen appeared just outside the warehouse.

"No need," assured Ironhide.

"We're right here, sir," added Smokescreen.

"Okay then," ordered Sentinel, "I need your help. I need the red Control Pillar, along with Pillars 1 thru 5 on the Tarmac stat! We got Cons!"

"This is gonna make my day," mused Ironhide.

Optimus, Ironhide and Smokescreen ambled into the hangar and withdrew 5 Pillars and the Control Pillar from the vault. They carried the Pillars out to the runway, where Sentinel was waiting before setting them up.

"Those five will start up automatically," explained Sentinel, "once I input the coordinates."

Sentinel transferred the data to the Control Pillar, causing it to light up. The other Pillars began lighting up as well, while hovering in a circle.

"Commencing transport!" announced Sentinel.

Sentinel pressed the top of the Control Pillar, activating the space bridge.

"After you three," instructed Sentinel, "I've instructed the soldiers to watch the bridge."

Optimus, Ironhide, Smokescreen and Sentinel sprinted through the bridge while the elder Prime held a small control for the bridge in his hand. They arrived at the Soccent base, which caught Blitzwing and Blackout's attention.

"Scrap!" shouted Blackout, "Blitzwing, Autobots!"

Colonel Sharp scrambled out of the rubble and noticed the Autobots.

"What the hell?" muttered Colonel Sharp.

Lennox and Epps peeked their heads out of their hiding place to gaze at the Autobots.

"Well, what do you know?" mused Epps, "more giant robots."

"Smokscreen, Optimus," commanded Sentinel, "you two get the toy plane. Ironhide, you and I will take care of the whirlybird."

"Oh," growled Blackout, "you are so going down!"

While Smokescreen and Optimus charged at Blitzwing, Sentinel charged at Blackout and slashed off his helicopter blades, causing him to shout in pain.

"Show him your cannons, 'Hide!" ordered Sentinel.

"With pleasure," grinned Ironhide, flashing his cannons.

"Blackout!" called Blitzwing, "ve can't vin! Zere's too many of zem!"

"But we haven't found any AllSpark shards yet!" protested Blackout.

"Attacking the humans was a bad move," scolded Optimus.

"Do you vant your aft fried?" warned Blitzwing.

"Uhh, no," answered Blackout.

"Zen let's get out of here!" shrieked Blitzwing.

Blitzwing and Blackout scrambled out of the base. Upon cue, Lennox, Epps, Colonel Sharp and a few other surviving soldiers emerged from their hiding places.

"Is everyone all right?" asked Sentinel.

Curious, the soldiers approached Sentinel, Optimus, Ironhide and Smokescreen.

"You're…..not going to shoot us," stammered Lennox, "are you?"

"If I were," remarked Sentinel, "I wouldn't waste my time talking to you. I'd have shot you and driven away by now. But I'm still here, and you ent dead."

"Oh," crooned Epps, "well, that's really nice of you to drive out those killer robots for us."

"Say," pondered Smokescreen, "I wonder if there are any AllSpark shards around here?"

"Kickin Con aft is my job," replied Sentinel, "no need to thank me."

"Uh, Cons?" stammered Colonel Sharp, confused.

"Decepticons," clarified Optimus.

"The idiots who trashed your base," added Sentinel.

Smokescreen wandered through the battlefield, hoping to look for AllSpark shards. Fortunately, he was able to find a few of them, but that was it. Well, at least it was satisfactory enough at the moment, so Smokescreen eagerly sprinted towards Optimus with the shards in his hands.

"Hey, Optimus," chirped Smokescreen, "I know we had to drive out those Cons, but at least I found some shards."

"Hehe," chuckled Ironhide, "Dumb and Dumber must've dropped them as they were leaving."

"Idiots," agreed Sentinel.

"Yeah, I know what we should do with the shards," said Smokescreen, "but what should we do with the survivors?"

"Let them go home," suggested Sentinel, "or wherever they need to go."

The soldiers glanced around the ruined base.

"Say," asked Epps, "do you think there are any planes still working?"

"Let's find out," answered Lennox.

"There are some back at the base we're staying at," mentioned Sentinel, "I'm sure you can use those."

Colonel Sharp scratched his head.

"Uh," stammered Lennox, "should we really trust those guys?"

"Well," agreed Colonel Sharp, "they did save our asses."

"Hey," called a soldier, "some of the planes are still working!"

"In that case," announced Colonel Sharp, "I'll stay behind to gather supplies and prepare the survivors for a flight to the nearest airport, unless you're willing to go along with those….robots."

Lennox, Epps and a few soldiers approached the Autobots while the others scrambled to prepare for evacuation.

"So," asked Lennox, "how are you going to take us to your base?"

"My space bridge, of course," answered Sentinel, "though it's only a ground bridge when you use just a few of the Pillars."

Sentinel pulled out his portable control and opened the bridge. Lennox turned to the other soldiers.

"Well," asked Lennox, "what are you guys waiting for?"


	6. The Power of the Bracer

Bumblebee returned to the base with Bailey in his alternate mode. Once they were near the runway, Bailey hopped out, only to notice that Sentinel, Optimus, Ironhide, Smokescreen and some soldiers emerged from the space bridge while Bumblebee transformed into his robot mode. Curious, Bailey sauntered closer to Sentinel.

"Whoa," exclaimed Bailey, "is that the teleporter you were talking about?!"

"Part of it," answered Sentinel while gathering the Pillars, "yes."

"So," chirped Bailey, "did you find any shards?"

"Yeah," nodded Smokescreen, "although it's only a few. Hey, Sentinel, should I hand these over?"

"I suppose," replied Sentinel.

Smokescreen held out the shards, but he suddenly dropped one of them. Before he could kneel down and pick it up, the shard disintegrated into tiny particles and floated straight towards Bailey's bracer. To her surprise, the bracer absorbed the particles like a magnet.

"Wha—?" gasped Bailey.

"….The frag?!" exclaimed Sentinel.

"Wow," marveled Smokescreen, "she can do that? Amazing!"

"What do you mean amazing?" demanded Bailey, "I mean one shard turned my watch into this weird bracer yesterday. Don't tell me it has the ability to absorb AllSpark shards the same way Senketsu absorbs Life Fibers!"

Bailey received blank stares from humans and Autobots alike.

"Uh," stammered Bailey, "has anyone ever heard of video games or anime?"

"No," answered the Autobots and the soldiers.

"Anime and video games are my hobbies," clarified Bailey, "and the reference you heard was from the anime Kill La Kill."

"Bailey, it's no good," replied Sentinel, "we aren't gonna understand a bit of….whatever you're talking about."

"I could show you some of the video games and anime," suggested Bailey, "that is, if I can get my consoles and computer set up."

"Great," grumbled Lennox, "the last thing we need, giant robots obsessed with video games and that other thing I've never heard of."

"Anime," corrected Bailey, "but not to worry, I won't let that get in the way of their cause."

"Yeah, that," affirmed Epps, "what does that even mean?"

"Anime is basically cartoons from Japan," explained Bailey, "and there are some really good anime out there."

"That's nice," reminded Sentinel, "but I'm more concerned about your bracer and the shards."

"What do you mean?" asked Bailey.

"Why can't we get it off you?" inquired Sentinel, "why does it absorb AllSpark shards?"

"I…don't know," mumbled Bailey.

"Neither do we," replied Optimus, "and that's what worries us."

"I have an idea," suggested Bumblebee, "let's see if that wristband of hers absorbs more AllSpark shards!"

"How does she get it off, though?" reminded Ironhide.

"Bumblebee does have a point," remarked Smokescreen, "I'm sure we'll find a way to remove it for her later on."

Smokescreen set down the shards, hoping to see what happens next. The next thing he knew, Bailey's bracer began glowing as the AllSpark shards disintegrated into particles that gravitated towards the bracer, which absorbed the particles.

"Is it getting any heavier?" asked Sentinel.

Bailey flapped her right arm for a moment to test her bracer's weight.

"Uh, no," answered Bailey.

"Good," smiled Sentinel.

"I'm starting to suspect that the AllSpark chose her to…..unite the shards," assumed Optimus.

"Yeah," stammered Bailey, "thanks for the heads up."

"We have no control over that," sighed Sentinel, "Bailey."

"You're not going to bring me along to collect those shards, are you?" questioned Bailey.

"No," assured Sentinel, "we'll get them and bring them to you."

"Thanks, Sentinel," smiled Bailey, "if I'm going to be living here, maybe I should find a refrigerator and a pantry to store my food, and maybe some cabinets for my utensils."

"Ask the soldiers," advised Sentinel, "they know what those things are."

"Not us, though," reminded Epps, referring to himself, Lennox, and a few other solders, "we've never been here before."

"You can help her more than I can," retorted Sentinel.

"Why is she even here at the base?" objected Lennox, "isn't she supposed to be a civilian?"

"Yeah," sighed Bailey, "but I got caught in the middle of their affairs."

One of the soldiers stepped towards Bailey.

"Would it help if we got you a spare fridge and pantry?" asked the soldier.

"Thanks," nodded Bailey, "I don't have much food, though. It would really suck if I just left my food to rot."

"I'll see if Mearing will approve of it," answered the soldier.

"Ok!" nodded Bailey.

Bailey turned back to Sentinel.

"Are you going to be busy?" asked Bailey, "I was going to set up my living space in your warehouse."

"Fine," grumbled Sentinel, "I'll just be working…..damn leg!"

Once again, Bailey noticed the limp in Sentinel's left leg.

"Are you ok?" asked Bailey, concerned.

"Why do you ask?" replied Sentinel.

"I don't mean to offend you," explained Bailey, "but it looks like you're limping."

"Oh, that," answered Sentinel, referring to his leg, "war wound. They couldn't get all the shrapnel out unless I wanted to lose the leg. That, plus the fact I'm not young anymore. It still hurts, but I've faced far worse. A bad leg won't stop me. Although…I do need help on some days."

Sentinel and Bailey ambled towards the elder Prime's warehouse. Once inside, the old mech turned his gaze at a long black metal cane while Bailey carefully removed her TV, consoles and computer from the boxes. She soon realized she needed the stand for her TV.

"Oh, that's right," muttered Bailey to herself, "it's still in the trailer."

Bailey focused her eyes on Sentinel.

"Hey, Sentinel," requested Bailey, "there's something in the trailer that I need."

"That's fine," responded Sentinel, not looking up.

Bailey sauntered out of the warehouse, opened the trailer door and set down the ramp. Before she could head inside, she noticed that Bumblebee was passing by.

"Hey, Bee," called Bailey, "there's a piece of furniture I want to take out of the trailer, but it is kinda heavy. Could you help me with it?"

"Sure thing!" chirped Bumblebee.

Bumblebee's holoform appeared and followed Bailey into the trailer, where they carefully lifted the TV stand and carried it into the warehouse. Inside, they set it down near an electrical outlet.

"Thanks for your help," praised Bailey.

"No problem," replied Bumblebee.

Once Bumblebee's holoform disappeared, Bailey carefully picked up the TV and set it onto the stand. She proceeded to move the consoles near the set. After that, she approached the foldable table, opened it and set it near another electrical outlet.

"Are you sure that's sturdy enough?" asked Sentinel.

"Not really," answered Bailey, "this table is only temporary. I just wish I had enough money to purchase a sturdy computer desk."

"Can't you…..I don't know," suggested Sentinel, "make one or something like that?"

"Sadly, no," admitted Bailey, shaking her head, "I don't have the necessary skills for it."

"You can't find a crate or something and move it?" insisted Sentinel.

"Personally, I don't think a crate would work," answered Bailey, "I'll just have to save up for a desk, I guess."

Bailey set on to place her computer and its equipment on the table before rolling her desk chair next to it. She then plugged in her computer and her TV.

"I guess that's it for now," sighed Bailey, "but then I'll probably need to negotiate for terms on Internet access."

"You aren't the only one," replied Sentinel, "the grids here are so _**old**_. I just now figured out how to conn—"

Sentinel's optics suddenly widened with shock.

"What the frag?!" exclaimed Sentinel, "why am I suddenly getting pictures of naked humans!?"

Bailey quickly realized Sentinel has never heard of a hardcore porn virus.

"Ugh," groaned Sentinel, "this is awful."

"Yeah," stammered Bailey, "there's this industry called porn, and some boys I knew from high school would usually talk about it."

"Why am I getting it?" demanded Sentinel, "ugh, it's disgusting, how do I get rid of it?"

"I think you might've gotten a hardcore porn virus," answered Bailey, "but I'm not sure how to get rid of it. Should I get help?"

"Please!" begged Sentinel.

Bailey sprinted out of Sentinel's warehouse and towards the hangar, where she started looking for a technician. While searching, she passed by Mearing.

"Excuse me," requested Bailey, "but do you have an Internet technician around here? Sentinel got a virus while trying to connect."

"He's not the only one," mentioned Mearing, "although, since this base has military grade firewalls, I bet there's two Autobots that will be hiding now if they're smart."

"Wait," paused Bailey, "you mean someone uploaded the virus on purpose?"

"Two someones," corrected Mearing.

"Oh," pondered Bailey, "I wonder who the culprits are."

"Sideswipe!" shouted Ratchet from outside, "Sunstreaker!"

"There's your answer," said Mearing.

"Ok," replied Bailey.

Bailey dashed outside, only to lay her eyes on Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, who stood nervously while gazing at Ratchet, whose optics were glaring at the twins. They shrunk down even more as Sentinel ambled outside, leaning on the cane Bailey saw.

"Ratchet," asked Sentinel, "what's going on here?"

"Those two fraggers uploaded a virus into my computer and I've been getting spammed with pictures of naked humans," accused Ratchet.

"You too, huh?" replied Sentinel.

Sentinel glared at the twins with a stare that could make Smaug the dragon and Dark Lord Sauron piss themselves and cry.

"Eheheh," chuckled Sunstreaker nervously, "we crossed a line, didn't we?"

Sentinel didn't say anything, but he played back a recording of Megatron's "so unwise."

"Ok, ok, we're sorry!" yelped Sideswipe, "should we remove the virus for all of you?"

"What do you think?" asked Sentinel.

"Strange," mumbled Bailey, "I thought I was going to fetch an Internet technician to do it."

"That was before you knew who did it," replied Sentinel.

"Ok, fine," groaned Sunstreaker, "we'll remove it."

"Thank you," sighed Ratchet, "that's why I could never be a parent."

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker sprinted to the individual warehouses and then the hangar and removed the virus from all of the computers they infected. Once they're done, they headed outside.

"Ok," said Sideswipe, "we removed it for you guys."

"Great," smiled Bailey, "just don't do it again, ok?"

"Ok," grumbled the twins.

Bailey and Sentinel returned to the elder Prime's warehouse, where Bailey turned on her computer and attempted to access the Internet. Fortunately, luck was on her side, so she began uploading her recordings onto Youtube, catching Sentinel's attention.

"What are you uploading so much of?" asked Sentinel.

"My Let's Play videos of Assassin's Creed 3," answered Bailey, "remember me telling you that I play video games?"

"Yes," nodded Sentinel.

"Well," explained Bailey, "I started my Let's Play channel a few years ago, probably because of my love for video games. My dad used to enjoy playing those kinds of games and I guess it has rubbed off on me. And, my favorite Let's Players are MunchingOrange, PewDiePie and Markiplier."

"Strange names for humans," muttered Sentinel.

"Yeah," replied Bailey, "they may sound strange to you, but they're just usernames."

Bailey returned her focus to her computer monitor and figured that the videos are still uploading. She stood up and began searching through some of the boxes until she pulled out a 3DS and the New Super Mario Bros 2 game.

"Until then," asked Bailey, flashing the 3DS and the game, "want to see me play this?"

"I can't see whatever you're asking if I want to see," objected Sentinel.

Bailey felt a chill sent down her spine upon realizing that her 3DS is way too small to be seen by Cybertronians.

"Oh, never mind, then," sighed Bailey, "who should I notify when I get hungry?"

"The humans would be better to ask than me," answered Sentinel, "I'm gonna go help with the AllSpark detector."

As Sentinel ambled out, Bailey suddenly realized that she just tried to entertain an _**old guy**_ with her modern games. She checked her computer monitor before turning on her 3DS as she began to play her game.

Sentinel reached Wheeljack's warehouse, where the Autobot technician was still examining the AllSpark detector carefully.

"Please tell me you've figured out a way to keep it from blowing up on us," grumbled Sentinel.

"Not to worry, Sen," assured Wheeljack, "I haven't blown anything up, yet."

"Keyword," remarked Sentinel, "yet."

Sentinel began assisting with the AllSpark detector, hoping that Wheeljack does not blow it up again.


	7. Abducted in the Cave

The following morning, Optimus stood outside while Sentinel was in Wheeljack's warehouse. Bumblebee already left with Bailey, and Smokescreen, Prowl and Jazz have already finished renovating a few of the living quarters, including Optimus's. Soon, Wheeljack stepped outside, followed by Sentinel.

"Hey, Optimus," announced Wheeljack, "great news! We finished the AllSpark detector."

"'We?'" paused Sentinel, "you binged on high grade and passed out, leaving _**me**_ to finish it. Just be glad I'm an engineer and not a polishing drone."

"On the bright side," replied Wheeljack, "we can now search for the AllSpark shards across the planet."

"Indeed," nodded Optimus, "and I would suggest not indulging in high grade for quite some time, lest you should hinder any other task that needs doing."

"Fine," sighed Wheeljack, "so, who's going to begin searching for AllSpark shards?"

No one noticed Elita One approaching from behind, until…

"I could help with searching for the shards," suggested Elita.

"AAAAHHHH, SLAGGIT!" shouted Sentinel, startled, "are you trying to give me a spark attack?"

"Sorry, sir," stammered Elita, "I didn't mean it."

"Apologies accepted, Elita," replied Optimus, "and of course we'll gladly have you help us."

"Thank you," smiled Elita, "do you know if anyone else is willing to join us?"

"Every Autobot here has agreed to help in any way he or she can," reminded Optimus.

"Great!" chirped Wheeljack, "so, when do we try out the detector?"

"Optimus?" asked Sentinel.

"We'll get ready to head out in several kliks," answered Optimus, "Wheeljack, I'll leave it to you to find a hotspot for AllSpark shards."

"You got it," agreed Wheeljack.

While Optimus and Elita wandered through the base to find Smokescreen and Ironhide, Sentinel headed into the hangar to retrieve the Pillars from the vault. Once they gathered outside, Wheeljack emerged from his warehouse with the AllSpark detector.

"So," asked Ironhide, "did you find a hotspot for shards yet?"

"I did," answered Wheeljack, "according to the map, the hotspot I found is in this massive cave in a place called Quang Binh Province, Vietnam."

"So, does that mean we're going spelunking?" commented Smokescreen.

"Yes, we are," nodded Sentinel, "I hope you're not afraid of caves."

After setting up the Pillars, Sentinel transferred the coordinates from the AllSpark detector into the Control Pillar.

"Commencing transport!" announced Sentinel.

Sentinel activated the Control Pillar, which turned on the space bridge. Optimus, Ironhide, Elita, Smokescreen and Sentinel sprinted through the bridge, which took them directly to the Son Doong Cave.

"Wow!" chirped Smokescreen, "this is huge, even for us!"

"While scanning the Internet tower, I heard that this place has recently become a tourist destination," mentioned Elita, "if we're going to retrieve the shards, wouldn't it be best if we don't let the humans see us?"

"How?" objected Sentinel, "I've never heard of anyone finding a bigaft firetruck in a cave."

"Elita does have a point," agreed Optimus, "since we are considered aliens to the humans, Mearing would've wanted for us to keep our presence a secret from the civilians."

"So what do we do?" asked Sentinel, "we are rather brightly colored, Optimus."

"All I could say is that we should avoid being detected by the locals," suggested Optimus.

"Heh, good luck on that one, Prime," smirked Ironhide.

Sentinel, Optimus, Smokescreen, Ironhide and Elita split up and wandered through the cave in search of the AllSpark shards, careful not to make a sound that would catch any human's attention.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on the Nemesis, Soundwave carried a screen pad while sauntering through the corridor. He soon reached the door to Megatron's quarters, prompting him to knock on it.

"Who goes there!?" demanded Megatron.

"Lord Megatron…" replied Soundwave.

"Enter, Soundwave," commanded Megatron.

The door opened, prompting Soundwave to enter as he approached the Decepticon leader.

"Sentinel apparently used his space bridge to go after some shards," reported Soundwave, "he's on the other side of the planet. No doubt he's got Optimus and some others with him."

"In that case," ordered Megatron, "tell Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp to get ready to go after Sentinel. This could be our chance to swipe the shards from him."

"Are you sure those idiots can get the job done this time," questioned Soundwave, "my lord?"

"Then maybe," suggested Megatron, "we should send Knockout and Barricade as backup."

"Consider it done," acknowledged Soundwave, "my lord."

Without saying anything further, Soundwave left the room.

* * *

Back inside the cave, Optimus, Sentinel, Ironhide, Smokescreen and Elita were lucky that none of the humans have seen them yet, and to add to their luck, they have found several AllSpark shards, yet there are still a few more waiting to be found. At the moment, Smokescreen was waiting near the entrance of the cave, hiding from some tourists. After a while, his com-link beeped, prompting him to answer it.

"Smokescreen here," said Smokescreen in a quiet voice, "what's your status?"

"All of us are finished," sighed Optimus over the com-link, "except for Sentinel. I hope that leg isn't giving him trouble."

"Yeah, I kinda feel bad for the old mech," admitted Smokescreen, "there are still some tourists near the entrance of the cave, and I don't see any chances of leaving the cave without being spotted."

"I hope they aren't near Sentinel," prayed Optimus over the com-link, "he could get hurt trying to hide from them. When you finish your section, will you go check on him?"

"You got it, sir," nodded Smokescreen.

Smokescreen ended the call. Since he has found all the shards near the entrance of the cave, he has to figure out how to search for Sentinel without getting spotted. He carefully crept along the cave without making a sound. Fortunately, he was able to head further into the cave without being detected. Suddenly, he heard the sound of an explosion within a distance inside the cave.

"What the frag?" muttered Smokescreen.

Smokescreen proceeded to investigate and noticed a hole in the cave that was just made from an explosive as Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp flew inside.

"Scrap!" exclaimed Smokescreen.

Smokescreen activated his com-link.

"Smokescreen to Optimus," called Smokescreen, "I have a visual on quite a few Cons headed for Sentinel."

"Protect him at all costs," ordered Optimus over the com-link, "and make sure the Decepticons don't harm the humans, either!"

"Right," nodded Smokescreen.

Smokescreen ended the call and sprinted further into the cave, pursuing the Decepticon Seekers. He arrived just in time to see them gang up on Sentinel, who whipped out his Primax blade and shield.

"Let's make this quick," growled Sentinel, "you deranged dorito chickens are really getting on my nervewires."

"Pfft," scoffed Starscream, "you don't scare us that easily, old geezer! Just hand over the shards and we'll leave you alone."

Smokescreen managed to get in between Sentinel and the seekers.

"Like slag I'll let that happen!" barked Smokescreen.

"Great timing, kid," smirked Sentinel, "hey, Screamybitch! Say it, don't spray it!"

Thundercracker and Skywarp tried hard to not laugh, but it seemed apparent that they're failing.

"It's not funny, you two!" barked Starscream, "take them down!"

"Which do you want, Smoke?" asked Sentinel.

"I'll take on the blue turkey," suggested Smokescreen, "you can have the other two."

Just as Smokescreen spoke, Knockout and Barricade arrived at the scene.

"Aren't you all forgetting someone?" complained Knockout, "like, oh, I don't know, _**me**_!?"

"Scrap," groaned Sentinel and Smokescreen.

"Well, you took your sweet time to get here," mocked Starscream, "it looks like Sentinel isn't willing to give up the shards, so we'll just have to take him to Lord Megatron."

Sentinel secretly handed the shards to Smokescreen so the Decepticons can't see.

"Take these to Optimus," whispered Sentinel, "go."

Smokescreen slipped the shards into his subspace component and began to run for it as Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Knockout and Barricade gang up on Sentinel. Suddenly, Elita showed up and fired her blaster at the Decepticons, startling them.

"Scrap!" exclaimed Thundercracker, "it's the leader of the femmes!"

Not a second later, Optimus and Ironhide showed up.

"Feelin' lucky, punks?" taunted Ironhide.

As the fight ensued, Sentinel tried to make his way out, only to be snatched into the air by two of the Seekers, who immediately shot off with two loud sonic booms, taking the elder Prime with them and forcing him to drop his blade and shield.

" _Nasutn'on_!" shouted Optimus.

Optimus sprinted after the Seekers, only to notice that the small control for the bridge fell out of Sentinel's subspace compartment, which the younger Prime managed to snatch. Unfortunately, he was unable to catch up with the Seekers. Back in the cave, after a brief brawl, Starscream, Knockout and Barricade slowly backed up.

"What the frag?" warbled Elita.

"Looks like our work is done here," smirked Starscream.

Starscream, Knockout and Barricade made a hasty retreat as Optimus returned with the small control in his hand.

"Optimus!" gasped Elita, "what's that?"

"The control for the space bridge," answered Optimus, lowering his head in sadness, "they took Sentinel."

"Oh, Optimus…" whispered Elita.

"We'll get him back, Prime," assured Ironhide, "somehow."

"At least," added Smokescreen, "they didn't get his shards. Let's get them back to base before the Cons come back."

* * *

Aboard the bridge of the Nemesis, Starscream approached Megatron with Thundercracker and Skywarp following him, dragging Sentinel with them.

"Lord Megatron," reported Starscream, gesturing to Sentinel, "we brought you Sentinel Prime."

"Why, thank you, Starscream," praised Megatron.

Thundercracker and Skywarp released Sentinel from their grip and backed away as Megatron approached the elder Prime, who slowly started to get to his feet.

"So, Sentinel," requested Megatron, staring into Sentinel's optics, "why don't you hand over the shards?"

"Why don't you eat my slag?" growled Sentinel.

"Hmph," retorted Megatron, "you are still as stubborn as all the other Primes, aren't you?"

"Yes," nodded Sentinel, optics glaring at the Decepticon leader, "especially dealing with the likes of you."

Enraged, Megatron grabbed Sentinel by the neck and slammed him into the ground. The old mech grunted in pain, but was otherwise silent.

"Don't you talk back to me like that, Prime!" roared Megatron, "now where are the shards!?"

"I'm not telling you," spat Sentinel, "slag face!"

Sentinel hissed in pain as Megatron tightened his grip on the elder Prime's neck.

"You aren't gettin' scrap out of me, Deceptislag," snarled Sentinel.

"I guess it's no use interrogating you," sighed Megatron.

Megatron released his grip on Sentinel and stood to his feet.

"Toss him into the brig," commanded Megatron.

"Yes, Lord Megatron," nodded Thundercracker and Skywarp.

Thundercracker and Skywarp dragged Sentinel out of the bridge as Starscream approached Megatron.

"My lord," suggested Starscream, "we could trade him for whatever shards the Autobots have."

"A ransom, you say?" crooned Megatron, "that does sound like a good idea."

* * *

Back at the base, Optimus, Elita, Ironhide and Smokescreen returned via the space bridge while the Autobot weapons specialist carried the Primax blade and shield, only to be greeted by some soldiers, including Lennox and Epps.

"Hey," asked Lennox, "where's Sentinel?"

Optimus felt sick. He couldn't bring himself to answer. Luckily, seeing his old friend's distress, Ironhide began to speak.

"Sentinel was kidnapped by Cons," answered Ironhide.

"Shit," muttered Epps, "that can't be good."

"I'll get Bailey so you can give her the shards," said Lennox, "and tell her what happened."

Just as Lennox spoke, Bumblebee returned to the base. Bailey hopped out of the Camaro, allowing the yellow Autobot to transform. They both eagerly approached the Autobots.

"Hey, Optimus," chirped Bumblebee, "how was your scavenger hunt?"

Again, Optimus didn't say anything, so Ironhide relayed the news once again.

"What?!" warbled Bumblebee.

"No way," exclaimed Bailey, "really?! So that explains why he's not here. Does that also explain why Optimus isn't speaking?"

"Yes," nodded Ironhide, "it's a touchy subject."

"At least we made sure the Decepticons didn't get the shards," replied Elita.

Optimus, Ironhide, Elita and Smokescreen pulled out the shards they found from their subspace compartment and set them down onto the ground.

"You know what to do," reminded Smokescreen, "right?"

Bailey nodded as she approached the pile of shards. The instant her bracer lit up, the shards disintegrated into particles, allowing the wristband to absorb them like a sponge.

"So," asked Bailey, "has anyone come up with a plan to rescue Sentinel yet?"

The Autobots shook their heads.

"We don't even know where they took him," answered Elita.

"Or," added Smokescreen, "if he's still alive."

"Then, do you think we should try to find their hideout?" suggested Bailey, "maybe that's where they could've taken him, but that's just me."


	8. Saving Sentinel

Later that evening, Optimus was resting on his berth in his quarters. However, he had a hard time getting to sleep since he was still worried about Sentinel. He suddenly heard a beeping sound from his computer terminal, prompting him to sit up, stand out of his berth and approach his computer terminal. He soon realized the beeping sound was a com-link call…from Megatron? How did the Decepticon leader manage to find this particular computer? Optimus wasted no time as he answered it.

"What do you want, Megatron?" growled Optimus.

"Good evening, Optimus," sneered Megatron over the com-link, "and don't worry. Your father is still alive…for now."

"Where is he?!" demanded Optimus, "what have you done to him!?"

Unbeknownst to Megatron, Optimus was showing this to all the others, and it interrupted the video game Bailey was currently engrossed in, which happens to be Mass Effect 2.

"He sure sounds pissed," Bailey muttered to herself.

"If you want us to return him alive," announced Megatron over the com-link, "you will come aboard the Nemesis and hand over the AllSpark shards."

"I must…" Optimus muttered.

As he spoke, the other Autobots traced the Nemesis and locked their tracers onto it.

"…prove to me he's alive," demanded Optimus, "show him to me!"

"Of course," nodded Megatron over the com-link.

Optimus's computer terminal then began displaying some disturbing footage. In the footage, Sentinel lay on his side against the wall, his hands and feet bound. Skywarp walked in and kicked the elder Prime hard in the gut, earning a wince and a pained groan from Sentinel.

" _Nasutn'on_ ," trembled Optimus, optics filled with panic and concern.

Sentinel groaned quietly, and Optimus could see parts of his neck dented and bent. The footage suddenly switched back to Megatron.

"If you kill him," warned Optimus, "I will never forgive you!"

Megatron just laughed and ended the transmission. Optimus tightly clenched his fists, anger building up in his optics. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Ratchet entering his quarters.

"Optimus?" asked Ratchet, concerned, "what is it?"

"We will have to infiltrate the Nemesis if we are to save Sentinel," sighed Optimus.

"How?" objected Ratchet, "it's huge."

"You were able to trace the Nemesis, weren't you?" reminded Optimus, "we should be able to download the blueprint of the ship."

Optimus typed down on his computer terminal until a blueprint of the Nemesis displayed on the screen.

"And where are they keeping him?" asked Ratchet.

Optimus examined the blueprint carefully.

"If I'm not mistaken," answered Optimus, pointing at a certain spot of the blueprint, "they're probably holding him here."

"Let's hope you're right," nodded Ratchet.

* * *

The following morning, the Autobots began setting up the Pillars on the runway after Optimus withdrew them from the vault. Once they finished setting them up, Bailey emerged from the hangar, now that she had her breakfast.

"Hey, Optimus," chirped Bailey, "are you getting ready to storm the castle?"

"No," replied Optimus, "we are infiltrating the Nemesis to retrieve our comrade."

"I know that," agreed Bailey, "I was just quoting The Princess Bride."

"Bailey," groaned Ironhide, "he's in no mood for joking around. It's his father."

"Oh," muttered Bailey, "sorry."

"Please," requested Optimus, "will you all help me?"

"Of course," nodded Smokescreen.

"Count me in," added Prowl.

"He may need my assistance," replied Ratchet, "I'll go with you."

"Don't forget us," reminded Elita, referring to herself, Arcee and Chromia.

"What she said," agreed Arcee.

"I'll show them my cannons!" bragged Ironhide.

"Sure," chirped Bumblebee, "I'll tag along."

"But aren't you going to take Bailey to work?" objected Prowl.

"It's ok," assured Bailey, "it's Saturday. I don't have shifts on the weekends."

"Then let's hurry," ordered Optimus, "Megatron hasn't much patience for those he calls weak."

The Autobots gathered behind Optimus as he transferred the coordinates to the Control Pillar. He remembered that day when Sentinel taught him to use the Pillars should anything happen to him.

"Let's kick some Deceptican!" declared Ironhide.

Optimus pressed on the top of the Control Pillar, activating the space bridge.

Optimus, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Ratchet, Prowl, Smokescreen, Elita One, Arcee and Chromia raced through the space bridge, weapons at the ready. As expected, they arrived in the corridor of the Nemesis, catching the attention of a dozen Vehicons.

"Tell us where to find Sentinel Prime," demanded Ironhide, aiming his cannons at the Decepticons, "and we _**might**_ let you live."

Instead of answering, the Vehicons fired at the Autobots, forcing them to dodge the shots.

"Alright, then," huffed Ironhide, "so much for you living."

The Autobots fired on all of the Vehicons, taking them out. With the squadron of Vehicons eliminated, they proceeded through the corridor in search of the cell. Along the way, they had to sneak past some Vehicons without getting caught. Eventually, they found the door to the cell, which seemed to be open.

"Optimus!" reported Prowl, "there's something….or someone…in this cell!"

"Then we must be in the right place," replied Optimus.

Optimus leaned over and peered through the doorway. Inside, he could see Megatron standing over Sentinel.

"If I told you once, Con," growled Sentinel, "I told you a thousand times. I ent saying a Primus damn thing!"

"Optimus," advised Smokescreen in a quiet tone, "let Megatron leave the cell before we move in. We don't need a fight right now."

Megatron realized that the cell door was open, so he snapped his head at Optimus. Thankfully, they were concealed in shadows, and Megatron mistook them for passing Vehicons. The warlord also realized it was him who left the door open. He glanced down at Sentinel.

"I'll let you think about it for a while," warned Megatron, "but if you don't answer me by the time I get back, I will kill you without hesitation!"

"Go ahead," muttered Sentinel, "my lip plates are sealed."

"In that case," chuckled Megatron, pulling out his blaster and aiming it at Sentinel's head, "I'll just kill you right now!"

Just then, Megatron's com-link beeped, prompting him to answer it.

"Lord Megatron," requested Soundwave over the com-link, "you are needed on the bridge immediately."

Realizing that his presence is needed somewhere else, Megatron put away his blaster and made one last glance at Sentinel.

"I'll carry out an execution for you later," said Megatron.

With that, Megatron left the cell, not noticing any of the Autobots, and still leaving the door open. As soon as the Decepticon leader left, Sentinel broke into his coughing fit, with which his bound limbs didn't help at all.

"Now's our chance," whispered Ratchet.

Nodding in agreement, Optimus led Ratchet and Prowl into the cell. However, Sentinel didn't notice them over his fits, but they could all see he had been starved, as he seemed so much weaker and more tired than normal. Concerned, Optimus gently placed his hand on the elder Prime's shoulder.

"Sentinel," whispered Optimus, "you're going to be ok. We're here for you."

"Optimus," groaned Sentinel in a hoarse raspy voice, "I can't….get up. I…feel sick."

"We are getting you out of here," assured Optimus.

Upon cue, Prowl cut off Sentinel's bonds. He and Ratchet slipped the older Prime's arms around their shoulders before helping him up to his feet. Sentinel gave a tired groan and wearily shuffled along with them, his head hung in exhaustion.

"Can't he at least _**try**_ to walk with us?" muttered Prowl.

"Not in this condition," sighed Ratchet, shaking his head, "he's been starved completely."

"We'll cover you guys until we get off this ship," assured Bumblebee.

Ironhide made a glance at Sentinel, horrified by his condition.

"Primus!" exclaimed Ironhide, "what the frag happened to him?"

Arcee, Chromia and Elita One also made a glance at Sentinel.

"It looks like the Cons beat him up pretty badly," assumed Chromia.

"Let's get him out of here before the slagger comes back for him," suggested Ironhide, "maybe it'd be faster if someone carried him."

Nodding, Optimus motioned Prowl to release his grip on Sentinel as Bumblebee and Smokescreen stepped forward and surveyed the corridors for any Decepticons nearby. Fortunately…

"All clear," said Smokescreen.

Optimus pulled out the small remote and activated it, and the space bridge appeared just in front of them. The younger Prime carefully lifted the weary older Prime in his arms before he and the Autobots entered the space bridge. They arrived at the base, where the soldiers, Jazz, Mirage, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Wheeljack awaited their return.

"All right," chirped Mirage, "Sentinel's ok!"

"Yeah," nodded Bumblebee, "but he's in bad shape."

Bumblebee looked around for a moment and noticed that Bailey wasn't here.

"Say," asked Bumblebee, "where's Bailey?"

"She and Lennox went to get a refrigerator," answered Epps, "they'll be back in a while."

"I doubt she wants to see him like this," commented Ironhide.

"All right," requested Ratchet, "I need Sentinel in the medbay. He needs treatment if he is to survive."

Optimus nodded after turning off the Pillars and followed Ratchet in the medbay where he gently laid Sentinel on the medic's table.

"Thank you, Optimus," smiled Ratchet, "I'll take care of him."

"I know," nodded Optimus, "I just…do you mind if I just stay here with him while you work?"

"Of course not," answered Ratchet, "just let me concentrate, all right?"

"All right," acknowledged Optimus.

Optimus moved to sit beside the table, holding Sentinel's hand in his own while Ratchet began applying medical treatment.

Meanwhile, Jazz and Mirage went back to assembling the berth in Sentinel's living quarters with Bumblebee joining them.

"Thanks for your help, Bumblebee," smiled Mirage.

"No problem," chirped Bumblebee, "although, I wonder if Bailey would either stay with Sentinel or get her own living quarters once we finish renovating Sentinel's."

"I haven't interacted with her much," replied Jazz, "so I don't know. We just have to finish assembling his berth and then we'll be done."

"We better hurry," reminded Bumblebee, "Hatchet's almost done with him."

After a short while, Bumblebee, Mirage and Jazz finished assembling the berth, so they glanced around the room. To their satisfaction, Sentinel's living quarters was finally renovated. They stepped outside and towards the medical bay, where Ratchet has almost finished giving Sentinel treatment. The old Prime was tired from his ordeal and could barely keep his optics open.

"Maybe we should wait until he's done," whispered Bumblebee.

After a while of waiting, Ratchet finally completed applying medical treatment.

"Okay, Optimus," advised Ratchet, "how about you take him to his quarters so he can rest?"

Nodding without saying anything, Optimus carefully lifted Sentinel and carried him to the elder Prime's living quarters, where he gently laid him down onto the berth.

"Megatron will answer for this," whispered Optimus, trying to comfort his father.

"Your Ma….would be so….proud of you," smiled Sentinel in a hoarse voice, "Optimus."

Optimus pulled out the small control from his subspace compartment.

"Here," said Optimus, holding out the small control, "this belongs to you."

"Hold onto it for me a little longer, will you?" requested Sentinel, "you'll be taking over the search for the AllSpark…..and until I recover, I'm entrusting the Pillars to you, my son."

"You have my word, Sentinel," nodded Optimus.

"I know," replied Sentinel, "just do me one more favor. Any Cons you meet, you kick their fraggin' afts. Got it?"

"Understood," nodded Optimus, "I'll let you get some rest."

Optimus stepped outside of Sentinel's living quarters and laid his optics on a pickup truck entering the base. Once the pickup truck stopped at the parking lot, Lennox and Bailey emerged from the pickup truck.

"Ok," asked Bailey, "should I get someone to help move the fridge?"

"I will help," suggested Optimus.

Optimus stepped towards the pickup truck and carefully lifted the box supposedly containing the refrigerator.

"Thanks, Optimus," smiled Lennox.

"Oh, hi Optimus!" chirped Bailey, "I didn't expect for you to come back so soon. Is Sentinel still alive?"

"Yes," nodded Optimus, "he's in his quarters resting."

"I'm glad he's ok," sighed Bailey, relieved, "well, let's find a place for the fridge."

"I have an idea where to put it," replied Lennox.

"Really?" warbled Bailey, "where?"

"Right this way," beckoned Lennox.

Bailey and Optimus followed Lennox into the hangar as the young Prime carried the box.


	9. The Geek Girl and the Descendant Prime

Aboard the bridge of the Nemesis, the Decepticons aboard the bridge flinched at the instant they heard Megatron roar in rage.

"I am very disappointed in all of you!" thundered Megatron, "how could you not have noticed that Sentinel escaped?!"

"You were the last one to go down there," reminded Starscream, "and shouldn't Soundwave have spotted him somehow? He's not exactly fast or small."

"Not to mention the pile of dead Vehicons in one of the corridors," added Knockout, "last time I checked Sentinel, he was just weak. There is no way he could've escaped by himself, so someone must have snuck aboard the ship, taken out the Vehicons and freed the old mech while Lord Megatron wasn't around."

"And how would they get onboard without Soundwave detecting it?" objected Starscream, "I mean, we all know _**who**_ would do that…"

The other Decepticons nodded in agreement.

"…but how would he do it?" continued Starscream.

"There's only one way to find out," replied Megatron, "Soundwave?"

Soundwave checked the cameras.

"Here, my lord," said Soundwave, "you'll want to see this."

Soundwave played back one of the recordings on the screen of the computer terminal for Megatron to see. In the footage, the Decepticon leader saw Optimus and the Autobots taking out the Vehicons after emerging from the space bridge and before racing through the corridor.

"So that must've been Optimus in the shadow," Megatron muttered to himself.

Soon, the footage ended.

"Decepticons," declared Megatron, "it looks like we'll have to get to Optimus as well if we are to get the AllSpark!"

"Yeah," reminded Starscream, "but there's one problem. None of the Decepticons put a tracer on him."

"Slag it," muttered Megatron.

* * *

The following day, Sentinel was still resting in his berth while Optimus, Arcee, Chromia and Elita went out to search for more AllSpark shards. Lennox and Ironhide took Bailey to her apartment to retrieve the food she had in her fridge and her pantry. After returning to the base, they proceeded to place the food into the new refrigerator and pantry. Prowl, Jazz, Mirage, Smokescreen, Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were busy finishing renovating the rest of the Autobots' living quarters. At the moment, Bailey started playing Kirby's Return to Dreamland, catching Sentinel's attention.

"What the frag is that sound?" groaned Sentinel.

"Sorry," exclaimed Bailey, "it's from the video game I'm playing right now!"

"Can you use headphones, please?" requested Sentinel, "the high pitches are screwing with my audials."

"Uh," nodded Bailey, "right."

Bailey paused the game and plugged in some headphones before putting them on. She then continued playing.

"Is that better?" asked Bailey.

"Yes, thank you," praised Sentinel, "now, back to my book."

Sentinel continued to read as Bailey continued to play her game. After a long while, Optimus entered the room.

"Bailey?" called Optimus, "we have more shards."

Bailey paused the game and took off her headphones before sprinting towards Optimus.

"Really?" warbled Bailey.

Optimus nodded. He pulled the shards out of his subspace compartment, allowing Bailey to use her bracer to absorb them.

"I guess there are still more out there, right?" smiled Bailey.

"Yes," nodded Optimus, "Wheeljack is currently working on finding more."

"Ooh, Snow," commented Sentinel, engrossed in the book he was reading, "you're in trouble now. Everdeen's pissed."

Bailey made a brief glance at Sentinel before focusing her eyes on Optimus.

"Is it me," asked Bailey, "or is Sentinel starting to like the Hunger Games series?"

"He started the first this morning," explained Optimus, "now he's on the third, and it's not even noon. He went through all of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings yesterday."

"Hey," chirped Sentinel, "there's great strategy advice in here, which was one of my old unit's specialties."

"Kinda fascinating," mused Bailey, "I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy in high school. I never read the Hunger Games, but my best friend Clayton did, and he told me about the story. And then I have my younger sister, who is still engrossed in this Twilight series. Even when the series is over, she still thinks this Edward guy would come for her someday. To make matters worse, she dragged me out to see their movie adaptations! Ugh!"

"Excuse me," paused Sentinel all of a sudden.

Sentinel reached out, dragged a large waste bin closer to his berth and puked into it, much to Bailey's surprise.

"Whoa, I didn't know Cybertronians can get sick," muttered Bailey, "did I say something that made him puke?"

"You said the T word," answered Optimus, "he hates that stuff."

"Oh," commented Bailey, "so I'm not the only one who hates it!"

"No," agreed Optimus.

"It's the most ridikulus scrap I've ever heard," added Sentinel.

"Ridikulus?" pondered Bailey, "oh, you mean ridiculous! Wait, you like Harry Potter as much as my mom does? She read it to me when I was growing up."

"I don't know your ma," nodded Sentinel, "but yes, I like it. Too bad that glampire series isn't a boggart."

"Oh Sentinel, if only I was allowed to introduce you to my family," sighed Bailey, "I could ask you to convince my sister to grow out of that bullshit teenage vampire romance series."

"I'd probably scare them," objected Sentinel.

"Well," chuckled Bailey, "my older brother and my sister would freak out a lot if they saw you, and my mom, not so much. My dad, on the other hand, would probably be excited. He is a huge fan of mecha anime."

"Mecha?" pondered Optimus.

"It's an anime genre involving giant robots," explained Bailey, "for example, you guys."

"We're not technically robots," corrected Sentinel, "since we can think and feel. I guess you could say we are people in robotic bodies."

"Oh," agreed Bailey, "I guess I'll keep that in mind. If you'll excuse me, I'll get back to my game."

Bailey returned to her living space and put her headphones back on as she returned to her game. Just then, Wheeljack entered the room.

"Excuse me," asked Wheeljack, "but is Optimus here?"

"Get your optics checked then," suggested Sentinel, "look. He's right in front of you."

Wheeljack snapped his head towards Optimus.

"Do you need something?" asked Optimus.

"I found another hotspot for shards," answered Wheeljack, "well, they're scattered across London."

"Great work," praised Optimus, "we'll need the humans' help, though. We're one bot short."

"My pistons may be rusty," reminded Sentinel, not looking up at the data pad with his Mockingjay ebook, "but my audials are as sharp as ever."

"Sorry, Da," muttered Optimus.

"So," pondered Wheeljack, "what do you need the humans for?"

"To search the areas where Sentinel would be searching," answered Optimus.

Optimus led Wheeljack outside and wandered around the runway until they found Lennox, Epps and a few more soldiers. The Prime knelt down to their levels, catching their attention.

"Excuse me," interrupted Optimus, "but do you have a moment?"

"Yeah," nodded Lennox.

"We have found a hotspot for shards scattered in London," explained Optimus, "but with Sentinel still resting up, we may need some assistance in searching for the shards. Are you willing to join us?"

"Of course," nodded Lennox.

"Ok," mentioned Epps, "but what about the other Autobots?"

Just then, Prowl, Ironhide, Arcee, Chromia and Elita One showed up.

"We volunteer," declared Prowl.

"Thank you," smiled Optimus, "now, if you'll excuse me."

Optimus headed into the hangar and withdrew the Pillars from the vault. After bringing them outside, he set them up and transferred the coordinates into the Control Pillar.

"We'll arrive at the outskirts to avoid unwanted attention," advised Optimus.

As Prowl, Ironhide, Arcee, Chromia and Elita One transformed into their alternate modes, allowing the soldiers to hop in, Optimus pressed on the top of the Control Pillar, activating the space bridge.

"Autobots," announced Optimus, "roll out!"

"We're rolling!" replied Prowl.

Optimus led the Autobots through the space bridge, taking them just outside of London. The Prime shut off the space bridge with the small control before transforming into his alternate mode. The Autobots drove into the city and split up in search of the AllSpark shards.

Meanwhile, back at the base, Bailey finished clearing the Arena in Kirby's Return to Dreamland. After saving her progress, she turned off the game and shut off the TV. She then grabbed her 3DS and her headphones before inserting the game cartridge for Kirby's Triple Deluxe into the slot. She walked over to the berth, catching Sentinel's attention.

"Hey, Sentinel," requested Bailey, "can I join you?"

"Yes," nodded Sentinel.

Sentinel shifted slightly so one of his drapes hung over the side, the metal grate like a ladder to her. Bailey placed her 3DS into the pocket of her cargo shorts and put on her headphones before grabbing onto the drape. She climbed up until she reached the berth and then sat down next to his head as she pulled out her 3DS and plugged in her headphones. She began playing her game as Sentinel continued to read. After a while…

"Sentinel?" said Bailey.

"What?" replied Sentinel.

"When we first met," clarified Bailey, "Optimus said that you were his dad, right?"

"Indeed I am," confirmed Sentinel.

"Then," asked Bailey, "who was his mom?"

Sentinel visibly flinched, much to Bailey's confusion. She paused her game so she wouldn't get distracted.

"She was…..a Seeker named Alnai," sighed Sentinel, "my first, and thus far, my only true love. I haven't taken another mate since she died at the battle of Kestix. Optimus never knew her. She never even got to hold him or see him, thanks to the fraggin' Cons. I had to be surgically reformatted, with no anesthetics or painkillers, on the field so he could be transplanted into me. It saved his life, but it was the most pain I've ever endured in both spark and body. But, it was for her; her dying wish was that I save our second child. I don't regret breaking the law to do it."

"You really miss her," murmured Bailey, "don't you?"

Instead of answering, Sentinel set his data pad aside, covered his face with his hand and started crying, muttering in his native language.

"I'm sorry!" exclaimed Bailey, "I didn't mean to offend you!"

Sentinel removed his hand and projected an image from his optics of a red and gold femme Seeker, which his hand reached out to touch. Bailey realized that he was not offended; he was sad.

"Sentinel," whispered Bailey.

Bailey set her 3DS aside and took off her headphones. She gently placed her hand on Sentinel's face. His body shook with his sobs, but one blue optic acknowledged her. In an effort to comfort him, she gently brushed her hand along the smooth wires that made up his beard. The huge tears rolled slowly over her hand, and one of his hands was pressed into his aching spark. Bailey reached out and tried to wipe away his tears, but her hands got wet in the process. Sentinel shuttered his optics, clearly in pain, but a special kind of pain. After wiping her hands on her cargo shorts, she grabbed her 3DS and her headphones and climbed onto Sentinel's chest.

"I'm…sorry," Sentinel muttered, his body still shaking.

Smiling, Bailey leaned over and placed her hand on his face.

"It's ok," assured Bailey, "maybe we can watch a movie sometime, so you can feel better?"

"Like what?" asked Sentinel, "I don't want that….that witch to see me like this. She'd never understand, and it hurts enough without her…hatefulness."

"I understand how you feel," replied Bailey.

Bailey set down her 3DS and her headphones and hugged Sentinel's face. Smiling, he gently stroked her back with his finger.

"Now," reminded Sentinel, "about that movie…"

Bailey released Sentinel from her embrace.

"I have the extended edition of the Lord of the Rings trilogy on DVD," suggested Bailey.

Sentinel's face lit up.

"Okay," grinned Sentinel, "who is your favorite?"

"Uh," answered Bailey, "Frodo Baggins. He is so cute for a hobbit!"

"I have to side with Sauron and the orcs," admitted Sentinel, "they remind me of my own people."

Bailey burst into laughter for a brief moment, much to Sentinel's confusion.

"The villain I admire is Sephiroth," responded Bailey, "but he's from Final Fantasy 7, which happens to be the most popular installment of the Final Fantasy franchise. He has his own badass theme music."

Sentinel gave her a blank stare.

"Er, English please?" requested Sentinel, "why was that funny?"

"Oh, that," explained Bailey, "you said that you liked Sauron. He's the villain of the Lord of the Rings, but I can't blame you for liking him. As for the Final Fantasy franchise, it's a popular role-playing video game straight from Japan."

"Aren't there any from…..your country of origin?" asked Sentinel.

"It's kinda hard for me to explain," admitted Bailey, "anyway, I'll just save my progress on my game and then I'll pull out the DVD. Is that ok?"

"Yes," nodded Sentinel.

Bailey snatched her 3DS and saved her progress on her game. After turning off the 3DS, she put it back into the pocket of her cargo shorts and held onto the headphones as she climbed down the drape. She then searched through one of the boxes and pulled out 3 boxes containing the DVDs.

"Ok," announced Bailey, "I found it!"

"Great!" replied Sentinel.

Bailey pulled out the Fellowship of the Ring and inserted the DVD into the Playstation 3. Sentinel slowly sat up, walked over to Bailey's living area and knelt down to her level.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok?" asked Bailey.

"Yes," answered Sentinel, "I've stood and fought off a horde of Cons with most of my innards hanging out of me."

Bailey began playing the movie.


	10. Comb the Desert

A week has passed since Sentinel was rescued from the Decepticons. Over the course of the week, Optimus led his Autobots to search for AllSpark shards while Bumblebee carried out the duty to take Bailey to her job each day.

At the moment, Bumblebee returned to the base with Bailey just as Optimus, Ironhide, Elita One and Chromia returned from another shard hunting trip. The human woman hopped out of the Camaro and sprinted towards Optimus.

"So," chirped Bailey, "did you find any more shards?"

"Yes," nodded Optimus, "many more."

Optimus, Elita, Chromia and Ironhide pulled out the AllSpark shards from their subspace components and laid them down onto the ground. Bailey then used her bracer to absorb the shards.

"Strange," muttered Ironhide, "no Cons in quite a while."

"Maybe they tracked us to the cave," mentioned Elita, "but why go after only Sentinel?"

"Yeah," agreed Chromia, "that is weird, especially for Starscream."

"At least that means we can find the AllSpark shards with no problem," assumed Bumblebee.

"Elita and Chromia's words trouble me, though," uttered Optimus.

"Why is that?" asked Bailey.

"Now that they mention it," answered Optimus, "I too want answers to those questions."

"I know," suggested Bailey, "who's with me on the idea that someone should go spy on them?"

The Autobots stared at Bailey with no answer.

"I….take that as a no?" stammered Bailey.

Just then, Bailey heard her smart phone ringing, compelling her to answer it.

"Hey," sang Bailey, "who is it?"

"It's Clayton," replied the caller over the phone, "are you going to come over to my place tomorrow night?"

"Oh," chirped Bailey, "it's gaming night, right?"

"Yeah," nodded Clayton over the phone, "even Olive and Fred are coming over. We're going to play Mario Party 9 this time."

"That sounds great!" smiled Bailey, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Bailey ended the call before focusing her eyes on Optimus.

"My friend Clayton invited me to his place tomorrow," explained Bailey.

"Alright," nodded Optimus.

"Wait," paused Bailey, "are you saying you're willing to take me there?"

"No, Bumblebee will," answered Optimus, "since your friends are probably familiar with him by now. His alt mode, I mean."

"Actually," corrected Bailey, "I never even introduced them to Bumblebee's alt mode."

"Hasn't that Clay guy seen me drive you to work?" asked Bumblebee.

"Yeah," answered Bailey, "I just have to introduce you to Olive and Fred."

"Well," stammered Bumblebee, "it's not hard to introduce a car; especially a muscle car."

"But then I also might have to introduce your human holoform, right?" insisted Bailey.

"No," replied Bumblebee, "you're old enough, they'll believe you drove there."

"Why would they believe that?" objected Bailey, "I don't even have a driver's license."

"Why didn't you get one?" asked Optimus.

Bailey felt a chill sent down her spine. How was she going to explain such a trivial matter to giant sentient alien robots?

"I think….my brain's not wired for driving," admitted Bailey.

"What do you mean?" asked Bumblebee, "you get nervous? I could teach you."

"Thanks for the offer," replied Bailey, "but I need to get a learner's permit first. I'll see you tomorrow."

Bailey headed into the hangar, where she heated up her dinner. Outside the base, Bumblebee glanced at the others with a confused look.

"Don't you have to know how to drive to get a permit?" asked Bumblebee.

"You could just encourage her to get a learner's permit as a start," suggested Chromia, "that's what I heard, at least."

"Oh, ok," agreed Bumblebee.

After eating, Bailey returned to Sentinel's living quarters, where he was still resting. As expected, Sentinel was reading from his data pad.

"Hey, Sentinel," smiled Bailey, "what are you reading this time?"

"Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment," answered Sentinel.

"Ok," replied Bailey, "I already had my early dinner, so I'm going to record a couple Let's Play videos of Assassin's Creed 3."

"Why?" asked Sentinel.

"My Youtube subscribers are counting on me," explained Bailey, "I may not be as popular as PewDiePie or Markiplier, but as a Let's Player, I have a responsibility to entertain the Youtube viewers with the recordings of my gameplay."

"Can they not play the game themselves?" objected Sentinel.

"Not everyone can access video games that easily," answered Bailey, "and come to think of it, since I'm not supposed to tell anyone about the Autobots, I'm pretty sure my Youtube viewers would become suspicious if you spoke during the recording."

"What do you mean?" questioned Sentinel, "as far as they know, your grandda's visiting."

"I don't think anyone would believe me if I just told them that," muttered Bailey, "I can have my headphones on and the audio of the gameplay would still be intact, but since my Let's Play videos contain commentary, I have to speak into the microphone."

Sentinel gave a groan that was barely audible to Bailey. After finding the game, she inserted it into her PS3. She turned on her computer while the game was loading, and after she loaded her save file and put on her headphones with a microphone, she began recording.

"Welcome back, viewers," sang Bailey softly, "to Let's Play Assassin's Creed 3. Tonight, we will be doing some exploring before we take on our next mission…"

As Bailey continued recording, Sentinel groaned. For some reason, Ratchet had confined him to his quarters, and to his keen audials, the room had an obnoxious amplifying effect on the voice. He wasn't sure if she didn't mean to, but it was starting to annoy him. Fortunately, Bailey didn't speak into her microphone constantly. After a while…

"Uh-oh," muttered Bailey, "it looks like we'll have to take on Haytham this time. You can do it, Connor. Yeah, smack him into the barrels!"

A low growl issued from Sentinel, as he clamped his hands over his audials. He shuttered his optics, trying to block out the sound of Bailey's voice, despite her efforts to be as quiet as she could. Why did the AllSpark have to choose her?! Eventually, Bailey was almost finished with her recording.

"And that will be it for tonight," concluded Bailey, "join in next time when we confront Charles Lee. This is Tiger Fang signing off."

With that, Bailey stopped recording and saved her progress before turning off the game. After saving her recordings, she focused her eyes on Sentinel.

"Ok," announced Bailey, "I'm done for tonight."

"Thank Primus," sighed Sentinel.

"Are you….mad at me?" asked Bailey.

"No," answered Sentinel, "you couldn't have known. Sound echoes here in such a way that, while your ears can't detect it, my audials do. Very well."

"Really," clarified Bailey, "you mean you guys can hear better than we can?"

"All our senses are heightened," nodded Sentinel.

"I get it, now," replied Bailey.

Bailey turned off her TV and her computer before changing into her pajamas. She then grabbed her pillow and approached the berth.

"Sentinel," requested Bailey, "can I join you?"

"Why?" asked Sentinel.

"So I can keep you company through the night," answered Bailey, "since I'm tired."

"Ok," nodded Sentinel.

Sentinel leaned over and scooped up Bailey before settling her next to his head. After laying her pillow, she leaned over and stroked the smooth wires that made up his beard. The next thing she knew, she heard a deep purr-like thrumming, which caused his neck to vibrate.

"Cybertronians….can purr?" muttered Bailey.

Sentinel didn't say anything in response. He just closed his optics, blissfully asleep. Sighing, Bailey nestled up next to the elder Prime's face and continued to stroke his beard before she began drifting off.

* * *

The following afternoon, Bailey was getting ready to head out after she finished uploading her videos onto Youtube. Meanwhile, Optimus withdrew the Pillars from the vault after Wheeljack discovered the next hotspot for AllSpark shards. Just then, some of the soldiers, Prowl, Ironhide, Mirage, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Smokescreen and Arcee emerged from the hangar.

"So," asked Arcee, "where's the hotspot?"

"The shards are scattered across the Sahara Desert," answered Wheeljack.

"Wow," commented Arcee, "that _**is**_ a hot spot, literally."

"You mean the location being a hotspot or something else?" teased Wheeljack.

"She means the temperature, dumbaft!" growled Prowl.

"Ok, ok, geez," groaned Wheeljack.

"Hey, Sides," suggested Sunstreaker, "maybe we should bring home some sand for an epic sand castle."

"Great idea," agreed Sideswipe, "although we need to build a huge sandbox."

"Not happening," disagreed Ironhide.

"Aww," complained Sideswipe, "you take the fun out of everything, 'Hide!"

"Knowing you two," remarked Ironhide, "it wouldn't be just a sand castle."

"But hey," reminded Mirage, "we have shards to look for, don't we?"

"Yes, Mirage," nodded Optimus, "we do."

After transferring the coordinates into the Control Pillar, Optimus pressed on the top of it, activating the space bridge.

"Let's go!" announced Ironhide.

"Man," sighed Epps, "I gotta stop eating before we go anywhere via space bridge."

"Wait," paused Lennox, "you're not suggesting we should all fight on an empty stomach, are you?"

"No," answered Epps, "I'm saying I always feel like puking after coming through."

"Good luck, Optimus," said Prowl.

Optimus led the soldiers, Ironhide, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Arcee, Smokescreen and Mirage through the space bridge, taking them to the desert.

"All right," announced Lennox, "let's start digging for shards!"

* * *

Meanwhile, after hopping out of the Camaro, Bailey sprinted towards Clayton, who was waiting for her outside his apartment.

"Hey, Bails," chirped Clayton, "how are you doing?"

"Great," replied Bailey.

"I guess you convinced your secret driver to escort you here?" assumed Clayton, observing Bumblebee's alt mode.

"Yeah," nodded Bailey, "I'm ready to get my game on!"

Clayton and Bailey entered his apartment, where two African-Americans, one male and one female, were waiting.

"Hey, it's Bailey!" smiled the male African-American.

"Nice to see you again, Fred," replied Bailey, "and same for you, Olive."

"So," asked Olive, "are we going to start?"

"Just let me set up the Wii," suggested Clayton.

Clayton turned on the Wii, set up the controls and inserted the game disk into the console.

"All right," chirped Bailey, "let's get started!"

Bailey, Clayton, Olive and Fred began playing Mario Party 9 the instant it finished loading.

* * *

Back at the Nemesis, Knockout and Shockwave were bickering over the device they were building.

"How many times are you going to frag this up?" scolded Shockwave.

"Hey," protested Knockout, "I don't have any shards to test it with, so lay off."

"Even if we don't have shards," reminded Shockwave, "Lord Megatron expects us to finish the AllSpark detector by the end of this Earth week."

"Why can't we even find the Autobots anymore?" asked Knockout.

"Perhaps Sentinel found the tracer," assumed Shockwave, "I worked with him before the war, and, though he is the enemy, I respect him as a fellow scientist. He is many things, but I know from working with him he is far from stupid."

Just then, Blackout entered the room.

"Get lost, Blackout!" barked Knockout, "can't you see we're busy?"

"I can see that," replied Blackout, "I sent Scorponok to find some shards in the desert after leaving the human military base."

"And did he?" asked Shockwave.

"I hope so," answered Blackout, "I will be picking him up at a place called the Sahara Desert."

* * *

Back at the Sahara Desert, the Autobots and the soldiers were traversing the desert in the search for shards. So far, they found several AllSpark shards. At the moment, the soldiers began taking a short break, drinking water from their containers.

"Damn," commented Epps, "this desert's drier than my mom's Thanksgiving turkey!"

"Tell me about it," muttered Lennox.

"At least we found some shards," replied Smokescreen, "I wonder if there are still more out there."

While Optimus was keeping a lookout, he suddenly noticed a giant scorpion-like robot emerging from the sands and hurdling straight towards the Autobots.

"We've got company!" warned Optimus.

"Scorponok!" exclaimed Ironhide.

Smokescreen, Arcee, Mirage, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and the soldiers snapped their heads at Scorponok. They wasted no time as they pulled out their weapons.

"You were right," agreed Epps, "Decepticons are ugly!"

"Let's take him out!" declared Arcee.

The Autobots and the soldiers wasted no time as they fired at Scorponok. However, the Decepticon scorpion kept dodging their shots by burrowing into the sand.

"I hate it when he does that," groaned Ironhide, "makes it hard to blow him up!"

Suddenly, Scorponok emerged from behind and grabbed Smokescreen with his prehensile tail, leaving him struggling to free himself.

"Get off me," shouted Smokescreen, "you fragger!"

Scorponok electrocuted Smokescreen, causing him to shout in pain and drop all of the AllSpark shards he had. The Decepticon scorpion seized the chance and snatched the shards as he let go of Smokescreen.

"Scrap!" exclaimed Smokescreen.


	11. Sunday Invitation

Pissed off at the fact that Scorponok stole the AllSpark shards from him, Smokescreen turned around and shot at the Decepticon scorpion, but Scorponok quickly burrowed into the sand once again.

"Ugh," groaned Smokescreen, "I missed again!"

"What did he do?" asked Mirage.

"He forced me to drop the shards I had," answered Smokescreen, "ugh, crazy scorpion creep!"

"Autobots," advised Optimus, "be on your guard."

"Yes, sir," nodded Mirage, "Primus, I hate bugs."

The Autobots and the soldiers glanced around the area, trying to keep an eye out for the Decepticon scorpion. Suddenly, Scorponok emerged from the sand and tried to attack Optimus, but the Autobot leader quickly responded by grabbing the prehensile tail.

"Now we've got you, bug!" bragged Ironhide.

Ironhide shot at Scorponok's head, which caused it to go limp. Optimus searched the Decepticon scorpion's chest and pulled the AllSpark shards out of its subspace compartment. At the same time, Arcee spotted an approaching helicopter.

"Scrap!" shouted Arcee, "it's Blackout! Optimus, get those shards through the bridge!"

"We'll cover you," added Ironhide.

As Ironhide and Arcee fired at the helicopter, forcing it to transform into Blackout, Optimus dropped Scorponok's body and attempted to slip the shards into his subspace compartment. However, Blackout unleashed a shockwave that knocked the soldiers and the Autobots off their feet, forcing Optimus to drop the shards in his hands.

"Men," commanded Lennox, "get those shards up before that Con gets here!"

The soldiers scrambled to gather the shards while Blackout charged at the Autobots. However, the Decepticon managed to swipe a couple shards and placed them in his subspace compartment.

"Oh, scrap!" groaned Ironhide.

The Autobots got back to their feet and Optimus began chasing Blackout. However, the Decepticon managed to outrun the Autobot leader and transform into his alt mode before flying away.

"Dammit!" shouted Mirage.

"Hey!" called Epps, holding a shard, "we got 'em!"

"Yeah," reminded Smokescreen, "but the Decepticons managed to get their hands on a couple of them."

"That doesn't sound good," muttered Sunstreaker.

"Fraggin' Cons," grumbled Ironhide.

"What if we got them back?" suggested Sideswipe.

"We should be more concerned about the others still scattered across this planet," objected Optimus.

Optimus pulled out the small control and activated the space bridge. The Autobots and the soldiers sprinted through the bridge, taking them back to the base where Ratchet was waiting. However, it seemed that Bumblebee hasn't returned with Bailey yet.

"I should hold on to those until Bailey gets here," advised Optimus.

The soldiers, Mirage, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Ironhide, Smokescreen and Arcee handed their share of the shards to Optimus, who put them in his subspace compartment before focusing his optics on Ratchet.

"Ratchet," asked Optimus, "give me a status report on Sentinel. How soon can he return to duty?"

"He is doing well," answered Ratchet, "but he might need another week of rest before it is safe for him to return to duty."

"Good, good," praised Optimus, "but…has there been anything strange that you've seen in his exams? I'm wondering how the Decepticons found us in that cave, and why they only went after Sentinel."

Ratchet pulled out a small device from his subspace compartment and flashed it before Optimus.

"I found this tracer on Sentinel's neck during one of the exams," explained Ratchet, "I suspect the Decepticons put it there after discovering we were looking for the shards."

"That explains a lot," mused Optimus, "hmmm, maybe that can help us, though. Can you rig it to function again?"

"I'll see what I can do," sighed Ratchet.

Ratchet and Optimus ambled towards the medical bay. There, Ratchet carefully tampered with the tracer until it began lighting up.

"There we go," said Ratchet, "so, what do you intend to use it for?"

"Tricking the Decepticons," answered Optimus, "so we can recover those shards. We'll need someone small, though, to board the ship unnoticed, recover the shards, and get back off."

"You're not suggesting a human, are you?" objected Ratchet.

"No," replied Optimus, shaking his head, "it needs to be someone fast, who knows their way around the place."

"Oh," mumbled Ratchet, "I see."

Just then, Lennox stepped into the medical bay.

"Hey, Optimus," called Lennox, "Bailey's back!"

"Good," nodded Optimus.

Optimus stepped outside the medical bay, where Bailey was standing. The Autobot leader pulled the AllSpark shards from his subspace compartment and placed them onto the ground, allowing her to use her bracer to absorb them.

"So," asked Optimus, "how was your time with your friends?"

"We had a blast," answered Bailey, "we played Mario Party 9 for a few hours straight. It feels nice to spend some time with my friends."

"Would you prefer to stay with one of them?" questioned Optimus.

"I could," replied Bailey, "but there's a chance that I might get them involved….that is, if the Cons come after me. Then again, I'm starting to get used to being here."

"I just thought you might enjoy that more," admitted Optimus.

"Thanks," smiled Bailey, "I'll see you in the morning!"

* * *

Back at the Nemesis, Blackout entered the room where Knockout and Shockwave were still trying to develop their AllSpark detector.

"Excuse me," interrupted Blackout, "do you have a moment?"

Shockwave and Knockout stopped what they were doing and stared at Blackout.

"Logic tells me you're going to do whatever you came for no matter what we say," replied Shockwave, "so go ahead."

Blackout pulled out the shards from his subspace compartment.

"I managed to swipe a couple of these from the Autobots," explained Blackout, "although I had to lose Scorponok in the process."

Shockwave took the shards from Blackout's hand.

"Mourning a drone," sighed Shockwave, "most illogical."

"So," commented Knockout, "does that mean we'll be able to find the AllSpark shards without having to track down the old bot?"

"After we fix all your blunders, yes," nodded Shockwave, "but that may take a while, so get used to not buffing your paint."

"Oh, come on," complained Knockout, "you're not being fair!"

"No," reasoned Shockwave, "I'm being logical."

Knockout glared at Shockwave and then the Vehicons who were snickering to each other.

"Why do I even bother?" grumbled Knockout.

"Because you are often very illogical," remarked Shockwave.

* * *

The next morning, after waking up, Bailey changed into her clothes and slipped out of Sentinel's living quarters while the elder Prime was still sleeping. She headed towards the hangar, where she prepared her breakfast. Once her breakfast was ready, she began eating, not paying attention to Simmons, who was passing by until he noticed the human civilian.

"Hey," interrupted Simmons, "you work here?"

Startled, Bailey jerked and yelped, but she kept herself from spilling her breakfast. She then turned around and glared at Simmons.

"You scared the crap out of me!" snapped Bailey.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Simmons, "and why are you here?"

"Bailey," answered Bailey, "and I just got dragged into this war between these Autobots and Decepticons."

"How?" demanded Simmons.

Just then, Optimus entered the hangar.

"Just ask Optimus," suggested Bailey.

Simmons approached Optimus, eyes glaring at the Autobot leader.

"Hey, robo-dude," interrogated Simmons, "why is there a civilian girl inside the base of a secret organization?"

Optimus knelt down to the agent's level.

"Bailey came in contact with the AllSpark last week when we were searching for the shards," explained Optimus, "and she now carries a bracer that has the ability to absorb and combine the shards."

"So," clarified Simmons, "she's like a walking portable AllSpark?"

"She may be carrying the AllSpark with her," reminded Optimus, "but she's still a human."

"Then why don't you take her with you on your AllSpark scavenger hunt?" suggested Simmons.

"You've got to be kidding me," muttered Bailey.

"I don't think that's a good idea," disagreed Optimus, "if we did, the Decepticons would most likely go after her."

No one noticed Mearing entering the room as she just ended a call on her smart phone. She noticed the bickering between Optimus and Simmons.

"Simmons, Optimus," barked Mearing, "what are you two arguing about?"

"Simmons wants us to take Bailey with us to search for shards," answered Optimus.

"Well," retorted Simmons, "why else is she here? She's a civilian."

"I see you haven't been informed yet," explained Mearing, "Bailey's bracer absorbs and unites the AllSpark fragments, but it can't be removed from her at the present time. The Decepticons destroyed her former home while looking for the shards. She stays here so she can remain hidden from the Decepticons, and she never leaves without Autobot protection, usually Bumblebee."

"Is that so?" mused Simmons, "well, I'm sorry, little miss."

"Yeah, whatever," grumbled Bailey.

Bailey didn't say anything further, so she finished up her breakfast. After setting the dishes onto a counter, she suddenly heard her smart phone ring, prompting her to answer it.

"Morning," sang Bailey, "who is it?"

"It's me, Clayton," answered Clayton over the phone.

"Oh, hi Clayton," smiled Bailey, "what are you doing this morning?"

"I'm sorry I forgot to tell you this," explained Clayton over the phone, "but I got two tickets for Universal Studios at Orlando and two sets of tickets for the parks at Disney World. Olive and Fred agreed to go to Universal Studios, so I was wondering if you would be willing to go with me to Disney World."

"Really?" warbled Bailey, "for how long?"

"Until this Saturday," answered Clayton over the phone.

"Ok then," nodded Bailey, "I'll talk to my employer about it. See you later!"

"Bye," replied Clayton over the phone.

After that, Bailey hung up and focused her eyes on Optimus.

"Optimus," explained Bailey, "I have some big news. My friend Clayton has invited me to go to Disney World with him for this week since summer vacation is starting."

"What planet is that on?" asked Optimus.

Bailey instantly burst into laughter.

"Silly Autobot," corrected Bailey, "it's a theme park in Orlando, Florida!"

"Oh," replied Optimus, "I didn't know. Well, how will you get there?"

"I don't think it's a good idea asking you to teleport us there since that would mean I would have to tell Clayton about you guys," assumed Bailey, "so, I'm guessing that he's going to try and book a flight for us. Are you going to ask Wheeljack to see if there are any shards at Disney World?"

"I'm trying to figure out how to send an Autobot with you," suggested Optimus, "the Decepticons could come after you in the air."

"Are you sure?" commented Bailey, "I haven't seen any Cons come after me whenever I go out, that is, since I moved here."

"You've never gone without at least one Autobot," reminded Optimus.

"Did Megatron even ask you about me?" asked Bailey.

"I would rather not take the chance," Optimus said solemnly, "for if they find you, and it is in the air where we cannot get to, you will not survive the encounter. No one will. I cannot condone such heavy loss of human life."

Bailey felt a heavy chill sent down her spine as she cringed at the Autobot leader's words.

"I guess you could teleport me there," insisted Bailey, "and we could meet up with Clayton at the airport."

"I would feel better that way," nodded Optimus, "which Autobot would you like to take with you?"

"How about you," proposed Bailey, "so that way you can call for reinforcements with the space bridge in case we ever get attacked by Decepticons?"

"I can do that," agreed Optimus, "though your friend might question your choice of rental car."

"I'll improvise," assured Bailey, "now all I have to do is to tell my employer about Clayton's invitation."

"I guess I'm not the only one taking someone to Disney World," muttered Mearing.

"Say what?" warbled Bailey.

"I have to pick up my niece from the airport this afternoon," explained Mearing, "her parents are working at a high school summer camp for this week and she's not old enough to enroll in the camp, so they asked me to take her to Disney World."

"So," asked Bailey, "what's she like?"

"She's…..tolerable to me," answered Mearing.

"Hey," suggested Simmons, "how about I call the park and see if I can get them to let our soldiers go in and look for shards? I see Bailey's bringing Optimus, in case there's Con trouble. Mearing, you need a bot. There's gotta be one here who can deal with children in cars."

"I don't know if any Decepticons would want to go after Mearing," objected Bailey.

"My niece doesn't know," added Mearing, "and I'd like to keep it that way, though it might be a good idea for someone to bring another one along."

"But the question is," asked Simmons, "who, and which bot?"

"I could bring along Ironhide, Bumblebee, Arcee and Smokescreen," answered Optimus.

"Awesome!" chirped Bailey, "let me call my employer."


	12. Intercepted Plans

Later that afternoon, outside the airport, an 8-year-old girl with blond pigtails and blue eyes was escorted by an employee. They soon noticed an SUV stop just along the sidewalk and Mearing emerged.

"Hi, Aunt Charlotte!" chirped the little girl, her face lighting up as she waved her hand.

The little girl dragged her rolling suitcase as she sprinted to greet Mearing.

Before Mearing could answer, her smart phone rang, showing the caller as "Samuel A. Prior."

"Excuse me for a moment," said Mearing.

"Huh?" warbled the little girl.

Mearing went to answer the phone.

"I'm locked out of base," complained Sentinel over the phone, "again. Also, no one has come to give me the, ah, paperwork you had for me to do while you're gone."

Mearing was frustrated, tired and it's the one guy she hates talking to more than Simmons. Nothing that is said will be good.

"Maybe I should've unlocked the door for you," sighed Mearing, "I'm sorry for that. Should I unlock it for you when I get back?"

Mearing could hear honking horns over the phone and Autobot voices.

"Uh," stammered Sentinel over the phone, "it's kinda causing a traffic jam. One moment…..SHUT THE FRAG UP, I'M WORKING ON IT!"

"I hope you're not blowing your cover to the civilians," warned Mearing.

"If you mean these idiots behind me," clarified Sentinel over the phone, "no, it's Autobots and soldiers."

"What were you even _**doing**_ outside the base?" asked Mearing, remembering that Sentinel needed one more week of rest.

"Avoiding Hatchet," explained Sentinel over the phone, "he was in one of his moods where everyone is target practice for his wrench throwing."

"I'll take care of the situation when we get back," advised Mearing in a quiet tone so her niece can't hear, "but I just picked up my niece, so I will have to advise you to remain in your alt modes whenever she is around. Understand?"

"You're bringing her here?" exclaimed Sentinel over the phone, "I thought Happyland, or whatever it's called, was in Florida."

"Well," clarified Mearing, "she will be staying with me for one night and we'll be going to Florida tomorrow morning."

"Oh," suggested Sentinel, "maybe you'd better get a hotel for that night. I don't know if Hatchet's out of his mood yet."

"I normally don't take advice from a robot," muttered Mearing softly so her niece can't hear, "but you have a point. I'll see you when I drop her off at my apartment."

With that, Mearing hung up and returned her gaze at her niece.

"Hey, Aunt Charlotte," asked the little girl, "who were you talking to?"

"Just some guy from work," answered Mearing, "not a very smart guy."

"Oh, ok," chirped the little girl.

"So how was your flight?" asked Mearing.

"It was good," answered the little girl, "I'm so lucky I didn't run into any pedophiles."

Mearing and her niece hopped into the SUV, sitting next to Mearing's attendant.

"To my apartment, please," requested Mearing.

Upon cue, the driver drove the SUV away from the airport and after a long drive, they reached Mearing's apartment. Mearing, her niece and her attendant hopped out of the SUV and walked into the apartment.

"All right," instructed Mearing, "you know the drill. Make her dinner, make sure she goes to bed on time, I'll be back soon."

"Yes, ma'am," nodded the attendant.

Mearing focused her eyes on her niece.

"I have to go," said Mearing, "good night, Kirsten."

"Good night," chirped Kirsten, "Aunt Charlotte."

Mearing then left the apartment and entered the SUV, and rode towards the entrance of the base. Sure enough, the gates looked like rush hour traffic at a complete standstill. Horns and loud swearing could be clearly heard. Mearing stepped out of the car and approached the Rosenbauer Panther just as Optimus was working on unlocking the gate. Sentinel's mirror turned until she saw herself in it.

"Oh, for frag's sake," groaned Sentinel, "why does she always think I started it? I was just trying to get back inside!"

"I never said you were responsible, Sentinel," retorted Mearing.

"But I'm always the first one you head for," replied Sentinel.

Eventually, Optimus unlocked the gate to the base and opened it.

"All right, everyone," announced Optimus, "I've got it."

Sentinel drove past Mearing, the twins honking obnoxiously at him.

"MOVE IT, GRANDPA!" shouted Sunstreaker.

"I'm gonna _**grandpa**_ you in a minute if you don't shut the frag up!" countered Sentinel.

Mearing watched as the Autobots drove back into the base. Once most of them entered the base, she approached Optimus.

"Ratchet has calmed down, now," reported Optimus.

Upon cue, Sentinel transformed and began stretching.

"Thank Primus," sighed Sentinel, "I don't want to be roadkill first thing in the morning. Is Bailey all right?"

"She's been hiding in your quarters," replied Optimus.

While Optimus returned his attention to Mearing, Sentinel stepped towards his living quarters and headed inside, where Bailey was almost finished packing up her duffle bag. Sentinel knocked on the door, catching her attention.

"Bailey," called Sentinel, "it's me. The coast is clear. Hatchet's calmed down."

Just then, a flying wrench hit the back of Sentinel's head, causing him to groan in pain. He turned to notice Ratchet along with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.

"I heard that!" barked Ratchet.

"Keep it up and you'll hear the sound of my foot up your aft!" warned Sentinel.

"Sunny!" announced Sideswipe, "old guy fight round 2!"

"Ooh," grinned Sunstreaker, "this is going to be fun!"

Bailey finished packing her duffle bag and sprinted to the entrance of the warehouse, hoping to break up the fight. However, Sentinel noticed the human's presence and blocked her path with his hand. He sternly shook his head at her.

"But why?" protested Bailey.

"He's a sasquatch," explained Sentinel.

"Excuse me?!" growled Ratchet.

Just then, Optimus showed up as Sentinel got to his feet and focused his optics on Ratchet.

"Enough, you two," commanded Optimus, "Primus, you're like sparklings."

Sentinel and Ratchet quickly focused their optics on Optimus.

"Optimus!" exclaimed Ratchet.

"I was just leaving," replied Sentinel.

"You mean you're going out?" asked Bailey, confused.

"Out of this building," nodded Sentinel, "yes."

"Will you be back?" insisted Bailey.

"I'm not leaving the base," assured Sentinel, "I'm just going away from Ratchet."

"Ok," smiled Bailey, "so I'll see you at bedtime?"

Sentinel didn't say anything, but he nodded.

"Well," sighed Ratchet, "if you'll excuse me, I'll be in the medbay."

While Ratchet ambled towards the medical bay, Bailey headed for the hangar, where she heated up her dinner.

* * *

Meanwhile, aboard the Nemesis, Soundwave was watching videos of Let's Play videos on the computer terminal when Megatron entered his room, catching his attention.

"What in the Pit are you doing, Soundwave?" demanded Megatron.

"I was observing some human culture, my lord," explained Soundwave, "I have intercepted some phone calls from a human named Bailey, so I looked her up and I found her Youtube channel."

Soundwave stepped aside, allowing Megatron to approach the terminal.

"Bring up her profile," commanded Megatron.

Soundwave clicked on a link to her profile, which brought up a picture of Bailey. Megatron's optics widened in surprised upon observing it.

"It's that human!" exclaimed Megatron.

"What human," asked Soundwave, "my lord?"

"I remember that human from the day we discovered the Autobots were still alive," mused Megatron, "one of the shards fused with her device. She must've been keeping the AllSpark for them."

"Then should we monitor her," suggested Soundwave, "my liege?"

"How about you track her down and kill her," advised Megatron, "then swipe the AllSpark from her corpse and bring it to me? But first, tell me about the phone calls you intercepted."

* * *

The next morning, after breakfast, Mearing was waiting for Kirsten to get dressed. Soon, Kirsten opened the door, but her hair was down.

"Ok," called Kirsten, "I'm ready, but I don't have my pigtails on, yet."

"Hold on," paused Mearing.

Mearing knelt down, pulled a couple of hair bands out of her pocket and put Kirsten's hair into pigtails.

"Can I do your hair, too?" asked Kirsten.

"Fine," sighed Mearing.

As Mearing finished, Kirsten spotted a photo of Sentinel and Mearing that was apparently left out by accident, which immediately drew her to it out of curiosity. Once Kirsten put Mearing's hair in her ponytail, she was about to step towards the photo, but her aunt quickly reached the photo before she could and stashed it away into her drawer.

"Aww," moaned Kirsten, "why not? You look pretty in it! Who was that with you? Your boss?"

"I'd rather not tell you about it," replied Mearing, "it's classified information. We should get ready to go to the airport."

"Ok," sighed Kirsten.

Once Mearing and Kirsten got their luggage ready, they headed outside the apartment, locked the door and approached the SUV. However, instead of the expected SUV, the space was filled by airport firetruck number 316. This was not good.

"Huh?" warbled Kirsten, "that's a funny looking car. Is that our ride?"

"Go hide," advised Mearing.

Kirsten sprinted towards the building as Mearing approached the Rosenbauer Panther. As expected, Sentinel's holoform, Samuel Prior, hopped out.

"Cons within five minutes of here," warned Sentinel, "we gotta go now or someone is gonna die."

"Ugh," groaned Mearing, "as if that's going to make my day."

Mearing turned to Kirsten.

"You can come out now," called Mearing, "this is Samuel Prior, and he is going to take us to the airport."

"Ok," nodded Kirsten.

Kirsten sprinted from the building before she and Mearing hopped into the Rosenbauer Panther. Samuel Prior got behind the wheel.

"Sorry," explained Sentinel, "we're going to have to speed. Apparently, they got wind of Bailey's planned trip, no doubt Soundwave did it. They're taking over the airport, trying to intercept her. They're also searching for all the humans involved. Apparently, Megatron has another crazy, sadistic plan involving all human allies and their families….especially the young."

"I thought Bailey was going to teleport to Florida," reminded Mearing.

"Aunt Charlotte," asked Kirsten, "what is he talking about?"

"She is," agreed Sentinel, "my guess is that Soundwave eavesdropped on her phone calls. How he found it, we don't know yet, but they are taking down anyone who looks like her or has something to do with her, which includes you."

Sentinel's holoform turned to Kirsten.

"Don't worry, you're gonna be fine," assured Sentinel, "there's just some bad people running around out there and we wouldn't want them coming after you all."

"O-Ok," whispered Kirsten.

"That reminds me," added Mearing, "we have to get to Bailey's friend Clayton before the Decepticons do."

"Bumblebee already went," replied Sentinel, "I'm sorry about this, Charlotte, but you know they don't care about keeping a low profile like we do…."

Sentinel checked his rearview, and much to his dismay, tanks were following him.

"Tanks," grumbled Sentinel, "it had to be the tanks. I'll try and keep driving, but they may leave me no choice but to reveal or die."

"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" asked Mearing.

"I—" said Sentinel.

Suddenly, one of the Cons shot at one of his back tires on one side.

"Scrap!" shouted Sentinel, "sorry about this, but I'd rather defy orders than die!"

Sentinel transformed, Mearing in one hand and Kirsten in the other. He set them down by a bush they could hide behind. He then drew his Primax blade and shield and charged at the Cons, thus Kirsten saw the "bad people" for the first time.

"What are they?" peeped Kirsten, "they're scary!"

"People," answered Mearing, "from another world."

Sentinel slashed his Primax blade, severing the Vehicon tanks' arms with ease while blocking their shots with his shield. Just then, Ironhide drove into the scene with Lennox and Epps inside.

"About time," groaned Sentinel, "you all….I got this one, that wounded one is trying to escape. Your alt mode is faster, Hide! Go! That's an order!"

"Consider it done," nodded Ironhide, "just don't get careless."

Sentinel pursued the wounded Vehicon tank as Ironhide's alt mode stopped at the bush Mearing and Kirsten were hiding in.

"What are you doing?" demanded Sentinel, "go after the other one!"

Ironhide raced after the other Vehicon tank, with Lennox and Epps loading their guns. Sentinel quickly disposed of the wounded Vehicon and sat down against a tree to rest, where Kirsten noticed a gash on his arm. Curious, the little girl crept out of the bush and approached the elder Prime. She recognized him from the photo this morning.

"Excuse me," asked Kirsten, "Mr. Robot, are you ok?"

Sentinel focused his optics on Kirsten.

"Hmm?" replied Sentinel, "why do you ask, little one?"

"Kirsten," hissed Mearing, "what do you think you're doing?"

"Isn't he that robot from the picture?" asked Kirsten.

Mearing emerged from the bush and approached Kirsten.

"Kirsten," sighed Mearing, "just…don't tell anyone about them. It's our secret, ok?"

"Ok," nodded Kirsten.

Sentinel activated his com-link, which Kirsten saw as touching his ear.

"Bumblebee," asked Sentinel, "did you get your guy yet?"

"I was just reaching the airport," answered Bumblebee over the com-link.

"Do you have him with you?" questioned Sentinel.

"Not yet," replied Bumblebee over the com-link, "but I think I spotted a few Cons at the airport."


	13. The Easy Trip

Clayton was waiting at the entrance to the airport, and he hasn't even reserved a flight yet. But the biggest question was: Where was Bailey? Suddenly, he noticed some people beginning to panic, which seemed to be strange to him. He simply brushed it off, but it seemed to be a bad idea because the next thing he knew, a giant robot with red eyes smashed through the wall and gazed at him.

"What the hell?!" panicked Clayton.

As anticipated, there were explosions nearby, and Clayton started to panic. He sprinted away from the robot, who immediately gave chase.

"Shit!" shouted Clayton.

"What have we here?" crooned Barricade.

Barricade managed to catch up to Clayton. The Decepticon scooped up the human and brought him closer to his face.

"Let me go, you psycho!" barked Clayton.

"So," mused Barricade, "you must be the friend of that Bailey."

"What do you know about Bailey?" warbled Clayton.

"She has something of Lord Megatron's," explained Barricade, "and he wants it back."

"Mega-who?" pondered Clayton, confused, "and what does this have to do with me?!"

"You know her," answered Barricade, "you can get us to her."

Just then, Bumblebee showed up. The yellow Autobot tackled Barricade, forcing him to let go of Clayton.

"What the," paused Clayton, "Bailey's car?!"

"Go!" ordered Bumblebee, "I'll meet up with you!"

Upon cue, Clayton sprinted out of the airport as Bumblebee began brawling with Barricade, only to be pursued by Knockout and Breakdown.

"Oh, great," grumbled Clayton.

Fortunately, Smokescreen and Jazz showed up and intercepted Knockout and Breakdown while Clayton hid in an alcove.

"What the hell is this?" warbled Clayton.

"Trying to harass the humans, Cons?" scolded Jazz, "I don't think so!"

Jazz tackled Knockout into the ground, leaving scratch marks on his paint job.

"YOU SCRATCHED MY PAINT!" shouted Knockout, "PREPARE FOR SURGERY!"

Knockout got back to his feet and extended his drill-arm while Smokescreen dodged Breakdown's hammer.

"Hey, Smokescreen," called Jazz, "you up for a game called Kick-the-Decepti-can?"

"Count me in!" nodded Smokescreen.

Jazz and Smokescreen rushed forward to fight Knockout and Breakdown. While Clayton peered out of the alcove, Bumblebee exited the airport and wandered around until he laid his optics on the human.

"Hey," asked Bumblebee, "you ok?"

"Yeah," nodded Clayton.

"Then let's get you out of here," advised Bumblebee.

"Are you kidding?" protested Clayton, "I didn't even reserve my flight, yet. Who are you guys, anyway?"

Just then, Jazz and Smokescreen managed to drive away Knockout and Breakdown before turning to Clayton.

"Let's just say we're friends of Bailey," answered Jazz.

"Wait," paused Clayton, "you guys know Bailey, too?"

"I drove her to work every day," explained Bumblebee.

"Ugh," groaned Clayton, "how are we supposed to get to Orlando?"

"We have a way," suggested Bumblebee, "you can go the way Bailey's going."

"I wonder what that would be," muttered Clayton.

Bumblebee transformed into his alt mode, prompting Clayton to toss his bags into the trunk before hopping into the passenger seat.

"You go on ahead, Bumblebee," advised Smokescreen.

"We'll keep an eye out for any Cons," added Jazz, "and then we'll return to base."

Upon cue, Bumblebee left the airport while Smokescreen and Jazz transformed into their alt modes and began patrolling the entrance to the airport.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kirsten carefully inspected the gash on Sentinel's arm.

"Aunt Charlotte," moaned Kirsten, concerned, "he's hurt!"

"Don't worry, child," assured Sentinel, "it's just a little cut."

Sentinel ripped a piece of metal from one of the Vehicon corpses and used it to bandage his arm.

"See?" affirmed Sentinel, "it's ok."

Just then, Ironhide returned. Lennox and Epps hopped out, allowing the weapons specialist to transform.

"We took care of the Con like you requested," reported Lennox.

"Aren't we going to return to base?" reminded Ironhide.

"Maybe you should take these two with you," suggested Sentinel, referring to Mearing and Kirsten.

"I want the red one, Auntie," clamored Kirsten, "he's nice. He looks like Grandpa."

Sentinel couldn't help but chuckle.

"All right," sighed Sentinel, "I'll take you two."

Sentinel stood to his feet and transformed into his alt mode, much to Kirsten's amazement.

"Wow!" chirped Kirsten, "Is it magic? How did he do that?"

"His people have the ability to transform into vehicles," explained Mearing, "it allows them to hide in plain sight."

Mearing and Kirsten hopped into the Rosenbauer Panther while Ironhide transformed into his alt mode, allowing Lennox and Epps to hop in. Both Autobots drove down the road until they reached the base. The humans hopped out, allowing Sentinel and Ironhide to transform just as Ratchet and Optimus showed up to greet them.

"Wow," smiled Kirsten, "do the other ones do it too? What are their names?"

"You can call me Ironhide," answered Ironhide.

Kirsten stepped towards the elder Prime.

"Say," asked Kirsten, "what's your name?"

"I am Sentinel Amhriel," answered Sentinel, "Descendant Prime, but you can call me Sentinel."

Sentinel focused his optics on Optimus before returning to Kirsten.

"And this is my son, Optimus," continued Sentinel, "the Ascendant Prime. He's a very nice mech."

"Thank you, _Nasutn'on_ ," smiled Optimus, blushing.

Just then, Bailey emerged from Sentinel's living quarters with her duffle bag and her messenger bag as she approached Optimus.

"Ok, Optimus," called Bailey, "I'm ready whenever you—"

Bailey noticed Mearing and Kirsten near Sentinel.

"Mearing?" warbled Bailey, "I thought you were heading for the airport!"

"One word, Cons," answered Ironhide.

"I think Soundwave found out somehow that you were going to Orlando," added Sentinel, "and the Cons decided to meet you before your flight, which you wouldn't have been on anyway, took off. Apparently, Megatron is after any human connected with you. I barely got to Mearing before they did, and I actually had to engage them."

"Is Clayton ok?" asked Bailey.

"We sent Bumblebee to get him," assured Optimus.

"Sentinel," asked Ratchet, "are you all right?"

"It's just a scratch, Hatchet," answered Sentinel, "I'm fine. I can't even feel it."

"You may be scheduled to complete your recovery next week," mused Ratchet, "but it seems that you have been doing well outside the base."

Just as Ratchet finished speaking, Bumblebee arrived at the base, and after approaching Optimus, he let out Clayton before transforming into his robot mode.

"Hey, Clayton!" called Bailey.

"What…the fuck," warbled Clayton, "is going on here? Who are these creeps?!"

Bailey laid her eyes on Optimus before returning her glance at Clayton.

"They're Autobots," answered Bailey, "and this is Optimus Prime, their leader."

"Was this the secret I was not supposed to know about?" asked Clayton.

"Yeah," nodded Bailey, "but apparently, Mega-creep has plans for otherwise."

"You mean this Megafrog guy?" clarified Clayton, "they said they wanted to see you 'cause you have something of his."

"His?" disagreed Sentinel, "bull."

"Sentinel has a point," explained Bailey, flashing her bracer, "this is what Megatron is looking for, and I'm not giving it to him. Otherwise, he would end up using it to take over the Earth."

"Kinda like the Ring of Power?" mentioned Clayton.

"Yep," nodded Bailey.

"Except Sauron's ring was apparently encrypted well enough that no one but Sauron himself could access his full power," added Sentinel, "which was smart for him to do. He must've dealt with Decepticons before."

"Decepticons?" pondered Clayton.

"Megatron's army," clarified Bailey.

"Oh," paused Clayton, "hold on, how are we supposed to get to Orlando? I can't just let these tickets to Disney World go to waste."

"I have just the thing," instructed Sentinel, "bring out the Pillars."

Upon cue, Ironhide and Ratchet headed towards the hangar to retrieve the Pillars from the vault. While Optimus pulled out the small control from his subspace compartment and returned it to Sentinel, Smokescreen and Jazz returned to the base and transformed into their robot modes.

"The Cons have been taken care of," reported Smokescreen.

"Good work," praised Optimus, "you two."

"All right," called Lennox, "let's get ready to go."

Sentinel led Optimus, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Jazz, Bailey, Clayton, Mearing, Kirsten, Lennox and Epps towards the runway while Ironhide and Ratchet emerged from the hangar with the Pillars. As Sentinel set them up, Arcee joined up with them.

"Ironhide, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Arcee," said Optimus, "you're with me."

"You got it, Optimus," agreed Arcee.

"I'll be here to send reinforcements if needed," Sentinel said.

Optimus, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Smokescreen and Arcee transformed into their alt modes as Sentinel transferred the coordinates into the Control Pillar. Bailey and Clayton hopped into Bumblebee's alt mode with their luggage while Mearing and Kirsten loaded their luggage into Smokescreen's alt mode before hopping in. Lennox and Epps entered Ironhide's alt mode.

"Oh, by the way," remarked Sentinel sourly, "thanks for leaving me with only Hatchet and the twins."

"Hey," assured Jazz, "we'll help keep Ratchet and the twins in check, is that ok?"

"Yeah," nodded Sentinel, "commencing transport."

Sentinel pressed on the top of the Control Pillar, activating the space bridge. Upon cue, Optimus, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Smokescreen and Arcee drove through the space bridge, taking them straight to the gate to Walt Disney World Resort.

"Wow, that was fun!" chirped Kirsten, "he made everything all pretty!"

Kirsten glanced at the welcome sign.

"It's Disney World!" gasped Kirsten.

"Well, yes," nodded Mearing, "now all we have to do is find a hotel resort."

Bumblebee and Smokescreen drove down the road while Optimus, Ironhide and Arcee began surveying the precinct. Soon, the two Autobots arrived at Pop Century Resort. Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten hopped out and entered the building, where they made a reservation for a room. Once they made it into their hotel room, they set down their luggage.

"Hey, Mearing," asked Bailey, "don't you find it weird that we get to share the same room?"

"No," answered Mearing, "I've slept in the barracks."

"So," declared Clayton, "since we are going to the Magic Kingdom tomorrow, who's up for some swimming?"

* * *

Back on the Nemesis, Knockout, Breakdown and Barricade approached Megatron on the bridge.

"We couldn't find this Bailey at the airport," reported Knockout.

"Perhaps we underestimated the Autobots," assumed Soundwave, "maybe they sent her through the space bridge."

"The next time I meet him," growled Megatron, "Sentinel Prime will _**die**_!"

"So," asked Breakdown, "how are we going to get this Bailey now?"

"How about we wait for her until after she has her fun at this park," suggested Megatron, "and then we'll ambush her. Soundwave, send your drones to search the park for shards."

"I'll send them by ground bridge," affirmed Soundwave.

Soundwave summoned Ravage, Frenzy and Laserbeak to the bridge. He sent instructions to the drones, and after a Vehicon activated the ground bridge, the drones raced through it.

"I have dispatched the drones as requested, my lord," reported Soundwave.

"Good," nodded Megatron, "now all we do is wait."

* * *

Back at Pop Century Resort, Clayton, Bailey, Mearing and Kirsten returned to their hotel room after a nice dinner.

"That sure was a great day at the pool," smiled Clayton.

"Yeah," agreed Bailey, "it sure makes up for that Decepticon attack."

"Don't say the D-word too loud," warned Mearing.

"Sorry, Mearing!" blurted Bailey.

"I wonder if Sentinel's lonely," pondered Kirsten.

"I'm sure he'll be ok," assured Clayton.

"So," asked Bailey, "since there are two beds here, who's going to share which bed with whom?"

"I share with Auntie!" declared Kirsten.

"Well, all right," sighed Mearing.

"Looks like I have to share a bed with you, Clay," chuckled Bailey.

"So, we just keep our hands to ourselves?" clarified Clayton.

"Exactly," nodded Bailey.

"Especially since there is an eight-year-old in the room," added Mearing.

"Yeah, that," muttered Bailey, "so, who's going to change into pajamas first?"

"Me, me, me!" clamored Kirsten.

"Ok then," replied Bailey, "we'll wait while you get changed in the bathroom."

Upon cue, Kirsten dug into her suitcase and pulled out her pajamas before going into the bathroom and closing the door. Clayton pulled out his 3DS and began playing Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. Soon, Kirsten emerged from the bathroom in her pajamas while carrying her clothes in her arms.

"You can go next, Aunt Charlotte," chirped Kirsten.

Sighing, Mearing pulled her pajamas out of her suitcase and entered the bathroom before closing the door.

"Hey, Clayton?" said Bailey.

Clayton paused his game and focused his eyes on Bailey.

"Yeah?" replied Clayton.

"Do me a favor and don't tell anyone about the Autobots or Decepticons," advised Bailey.

"Ok, you got it," nodded Clayton.

Clayton went back to his game. After a moment of silence, Mearing emerged from the bathroom in her pajamas.

"Ok," announced Bailey, "it's my turn."

Bailey pulled her pajamas out of her duffle bag and went into the bathroom to get changed. Soon, she finished changing into her pajamas, snatched her clothes and emerged from the bathroom.

"Ok, Clay," called Bailey, "it's your turn!"

Upon cue, Clayton paused his game and set down the 3DS. He opened up his suitcase and removed his pajamas before entering the bathroom. It wasn't long before he emerged from the bathroom in his pajamas, which happens to be a pink nightgown with flower patterns, catching Kirsten's attention.

"Why are you wearing a nightgown?" asked Kirsten, "you're a boy."

"Why not?" objected Clayton, "I love wearing dresses, even nightgowns."

"Yeah," giggled Bailey, "Clayton's always like that."

Clayton giggled along with Bailey.

"All right," announced Mearing, "bed time, everyone."

"Ok," nodded Kirsten.

Kirsten and Mearing climbed into one bed while Bailey and Clayton climbed into the other one, and they slowly drifted off to sleep.


	14. Welcome to the Magic Kingdom

The following morning, after breakfast, Clayton, Bailey, Mearing and Kirsten went to the front of the hotel to wait for the bus.

"Wow," chirped Kirsten, "I'm so excited!"

"I get the feeling," agreed Bailey, "it's been nine years since I went to Disney World."

"It's really not my thing," mumbled Mearing.

"And yet you're here because of Kirsten?" reminded Clayton.

"I suppose," sighed Mearing.

Soon, the articulated buses arrived, and much to their delight, one of them was set for the Magic Kingdom, according to the digital sign next to the door.

"Ok, let's go," declared Bailey.

Bailey, Mearing, Clayton and Kirsten boarded the bus along with many other people. Once the bus was loaded, it left the resort hotel and drove down the road until it arrived near the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. Upon cue, the passengers disembarked and traversed through the turnstiles towards the entrance. There, Bailey noticed Lennox, Epps and the Autobots' holoforms standing there.

"Hi, Lennox!" called Bailey.

"Hey," replied Lennox.

"Place ain't open," reported Epps, "but we went ahead and got our military discount tickets."

"That's ok," smiled Bailey, "we'll just wait until the opening ceremony."

Just then, Optimus's holoform approached Bailey.

"Oh, morning…uh," stammered Bailey.

Bailey quickly remembered that she might risk blowing the Autobots' cover if she mentioned their real names, so she leaned closer to the Autobot leader's holoform.

"If I can't call you Optimus," whispered Bailey, "what should I call you?"

"Morpheus," answered Optimus, "Morpheus Prior."

"Ok, then," nodded Bailey, "will you be able to walk through the park without fizzing out?"

"We don't fizz out," assured Ironhide's holoform, Aaron Hyde.

"We searched the area outside the parks for the shards last night," added Arcee's holoform, "and we found several of them."

Bailey nodded as Optimus's holoform returned to join with the other holoforms. After a long while, the music started.

"Oh," commented Clayton, "I guess it's time for that opening ceremony."

Kirsten's face lit up upon hearing the music. Then…

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced the host, "boys and girls. Welcome to the Magic Kingdom!"

As the music and the singing continued, a man in a suit and a canotier hat emerged from the train station while smiling down at the crowd.

"Hello, everyone," cheered the mayor, "welcome to the most magical place on Earth, the Magic Kingdom! So nice to know your smiling faces, good morning…"

The crowd said hello in response. While the mayor continued his introduction, she wasn't sure why, but Bailey wished she could bring along Sentinel…well, his holoform, that is.

"…It's time to gather around, everyone," continued the mayor, "because in just a few minutes, we're going to officially open the Magic Kingdom!"

While the mayor continued the introduction, Mearing noticed that Kirsten was fidgeting with excitement. All the while, some people in costumes emerged from the train station.

"…But I want to know is," finished the mayor, "are you ready?"

The crowd cheered with enthusiasm.

"Then let the memories begin!" declared the mayor.

The couples in costumes sauntered alongside the fence, and gave each other a bow.

"Greetings, everyone," smiled the mayor, "let's say hi to all our guests."

The couples turned to the crowd.

"Hi there," cheered the couples, waving their hands, "good to see you!"

"Let's welcome our new friends," continued the mayor.

"Hello," replied the couples, "welcome!"

"Good morning from all of us," announced the mayor, "here in the Magic Kingdom!"

Upon cue, the song "Good Morning" played while the couples danced along the fence. Clayton couldn't help but nod his head in tune to the song.

While the mayor began speaking again, Laserbeak, Frenzy and Ravage arrived at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, but because of orders from Soundwave, they had to stay out of sight to avoid attention from the humans.

"How are we supposed to get in there?" whispered Frenzy, "they could catch us!"

"Not if we use some disguises," suggested Laserbeak.

"…We'll need all your help too," continued the mayor, "everyone. Ready?"

"Ready!" replied most of the crowd.

Once the singing seemed to come to a finish, the crowd heard the sound of a train.

"Hey, everybody," called the mayor, "did you hear the sound of the steam train that must be coming around the bend? Mickey and all the gang will be here in any minute now!"

Sure enough, as the music changed, the crowd could see a steam-powered train arrive to the station on the railroad. Mascots of the Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and much more were riding on the train.

"Now we can open the Magic Kingdom," smiled the mayor, "since Mickey and the gang are arriving!"

"Hip, hip," cheered the couples, "hooray!"

When the train came to a stop, the mascots disembarked and glanced at the crowd with cheerful enthusiasm.

"Let's hear from Mickey," announced the mayor, "the family of the day and all of our gang!"

"Aww, gee," chuckled Mickey, "hi, everybody! Gosh, it's great to see you!"

In the midst of the opening ceremony, Laserbeak, Ravage and Frenzy slowly slipped into the park, determined to avoid getting spotted. Once inside, Laserbeak turned to Ravage and Frenzy.

"All right," announced Laserbeak, "let's obtain some disguises."

"So, Mickey," said the mayor, "are we ready to open the Magic Kingdom?"

"Yup," nodded Mickey, "we sure are! Aren't we, gang?"

Optimus's holoform leaned closer to the other holoforms.

"Autobots," whispered Optimus, "once the park opens, we split up and search for the shards. Is that understood?"

The holoforms nodded.

"…Gosh," smiled Mickey, "that's swell! Hi there, thanks for helping us today."

"All right, everyone," announced the mayor, "let's all do the countdown from ten to open the park. Mickey?"

"Ok, gang," instructed Mickey, "count nice and loud. Here…we…go!"

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six," chanted the crowd and the mascots, "five, four, three, two, one!"

Within an instant, some fireworks were launched into the air and the family of the day released some streamers down to the audience.

"Welcome to the Magic Kingdom, everybody!" declared Mickey.

After an applause, the audience began to enter the park, including Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten.

"All right, everyone," announced Mearing, "let's stay together."

"So," asked Clayton, "where should we go, first?"

Bailey pulled out the map and read it carefully.

"How about we check out the attractions in Fantasyland as a start?" suggested Bailey.

"I want pictures with some of the Disney characters," clamored Kirsten.

"Really?" chirped Clayton, "could you give me an example?"

"Well," admitted Bailey, "I could go for a picture with Mickey Mouse."

"And Minnie," added Kirsten, "and Donald, and Goofy, and Pluto!"

"Sounds great!" smiled Clayton.

Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten mad their way to the Town Square in Main Street USA, where some of the guests were starting to take pictures with some of the Disney mascots. Among them, they could see the mascots of Mickey, Donald, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto.

"So," asked Clayton, "who's going first?"

"How about we let Kirsten go first?" suggested Bailey.

"Go ahead, Kirsten," nodded Mearing.

Kirsten walked up to stand in line while Mearing pulled out her smart phone from her bag. And soon, her niece was standing close to Minnie Mouse. She stood next to the mascot while Mearing snapped a picture. After that, Kirsten waved good-bye before sprinting towards Mearing.

"Send it to Sammy," requested Kirsten, "Aunt Charlotte!"

"I suppose," nodded Mearing.

Upon cue, Bailey turned to Clayton.

"Clay," requested Bailey, "could you do me a favor and send the picture to me after you take it?"

"Sure," nodded Clayton.

As Clayton pulled his smart phone from his pocket, Bailey got in line, waiting until she was standing close to Mickey Mouse.

"Hi there, Mickey," smiled Bailey, "how are you doing?"

Mickey only gave a wave in response without saying anything. Without hesitation, Bailey and the mascot stood together while holding a friendly pose, prompting Clayton to snap a picture.

"Thanks," chirped Bailey.

Bailey sauntered towards Clayton.

"I guess it's my turn, now," chuckled Clayton.

"So which character?" asked Bailey.

"I'll take Goofy," answered Clayton.

After stowing away his smart phone, Clayton got in line while Bailey pulled her smart phone from her messenger bag. Once Clayton went through the line, he stood alongside Goofy, prompting Bailey to snap a picture. To her satisfaction, the picture was decent.

"Ok," called Bailey, "you're good to go!"

"Cool," replied Clayton.

Clayton sauntered towards Bailey, Mearing and Kirsten.

"So," announced Bailey, "let's get going!"

Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten hustled through the park until they reached the Mad Tea Party in Fantasyland.

Meanwhile, Laserbeak, Frenzy and Ravage found some disguises, but they looked ridiculous and flimsy.

"Why did you set me up in this stubby pirate disguise?" complained Frenzy.

"Shut up!" barked Laserbeak, disguised as a parrot.

Before any of the drones could say anything further, some humans pass by, prompting Laserbeak to squawk like a parrot.

"Arrrrr, matey!" squawked Laserbeak.

"Heh," muttered Ravage, "this could work out nicely."

Laserbeak and Frenzy snapped their heads at Ravage, glaring at him.

"Can it," barked Laserbeak and Frenzy, "kitty cat!"

Ravage groaned in disgust.

"Let's get on with the search," sighed Laserbeak.

Meanwhile, after enjoying the Mad Tea Party, Prince Charming Regal Carousel, It's a Small World and Mickey's Philhar Magic and getting a picture of Kirsten with Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall, Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten sauntered their way to Tomorrowland.

"So," asked Clayton, "what are we going on, next?"

"How about Stitch's Great Escape?" suggested Bailey.

"Space Mountain!" exclaimed Kirsten.

"Oh, in that case," proposed Clayton, "how about Bailey and Mearing go on Stitch's Great Escape while Kirsten and I go on Space Mountain?"

"Keep your hands to yourself," ordered Mearing, "says me and the US military."

"You got it, ma'am," nodded Clayton.

"Stop with the ma'am," barked Mearing, "enough with the ma'am. Do I look like a ma'am?"

"Well," commented Bailey, "you're obviously not a sir."

"You're starting to sound like Sentinel," groaned Mearing, "and one of that crazy old tin can is bad enough."

"What's so bad about him anyway?" objected Bailey, "I don't get it."

"You wouldn't," explained Mearing, "he has no respect for my authority, and he thinks he knows everything."

"Well," mentioned Bailey, "I guess he was a wise leader back at where he was from."

"He's a grouchy old fart," countered Mearing.

Bailey simply glared at Mearing for a moment.

"Well," sighed Bailey, "let's get going. Clay, after Space Mountain, could you wait for us at the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant?"

"Of course," nodded Clayton, "we'll use the map to find it."

"Let's go!" chirped Kirsten.

Kirsten and Clayton left to find Space Mountain while Bailey and Mearing wandered around the area to search for Stitch's Great Escape.

Meanwhile, Lennox, Epps and Optimus's holoform met up in front of the statue of Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney.

"So," whispered Epps, "how is the progress of the search?"

"I have found some shards in Tomorrowland," reported Optimus, "Arcee is still searching Fantasyland, Bumblebee has finished searching Adventureland, Ironhide is still searching Frontierland and Smokescreen is almost finished with Liberty Square."

"Sounds like it's looking good," smiled Epps.

"Yeah," added Lennox, "and we've already searched Main Street USA."

"So," asked Epps, "where do you think we should search next after that?"

"If the others get finished," suggested Lennox, "maybe we could have enough time to search Disney's Hollywood Studios."

"Check with the park officials, too," added Optimus, "I suspect they have found some of them at some point."

Meanwhile, after lunch, Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten wandered towards Adventureland, where they had fun at Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, and then they wandered towards Frontierland, where they enjoyed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain. Now, they're heading towards the Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square.

"I'm not scared at all," chirped Kirsten.

"No one asked if you were," replied Clayton.

Mearing simply glared at Clayton.

"What?" warbled Clayton.

"Don't get smart with her," scolded Mearing.

"Ok, ok," exclaimed Clayton, "I'm sorry!"

"Good," Mearing said solemnly.

Bailey, Mearing, Clayton and Kirsten continued towards the Haunted Mansion. Little did they know, Frenzy spotted them while wandering through Liberty Square. The drone disguised as the stubby pirate activated his com-link.

"Ravage, Laserbeak," reported Frenzy, "I have a visual."

"You found the human?" asked Laserbeak over the com-link.

"Yes," nodded Frenzy, "I have a visual. It looks like she's going into one of these attractions."

"In that case," advised Laserbeak over the com-link, "try to place a tracer on her."

"How?" demanded Frenzy.

"Just try to get closer to her," groaned Laserbeak over the com-link, "and make sure she doesn't see you! It's not that difficult."

"Fine," sighed Frenzy, "I'm going."

Frenzy shut off his com-link and began following Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten towards the Haunted Mansion. Just before they entered, Kirsten noticed Frenzy.

"Hey, look!" chirped Kirsten, "what's that?"

Bailey, Clayton and Mearing turned their heads at Frenzy.

"Oh, shit," muttered Frenzy.

"That guy's walking funny," commented Clayton.

"That's no guy," muttered Mearing, "it's a Con. Bailey, call Morpheus."

Bailey whipped out her smart phone as Frenzy tried to hide himself, catching an official's attention.

"Do you want me to escort this one out for you, ma'am?" asked the official, referring to Frenzy.

"We've got it, sir," assured Mearing, flashing her government ID.

As Bailey began calling Optimus's holoform, Frenzy scrambled out of the Haunted Mansion. He soon ran into Laserbeak and Ravage.

"So," asked Laserbeak, "did you put the tracer on the human?"

"No," sighed Frenzy, "she spotted me before I could succeed."

"You fool!" scolded Laserbeak, "Megatron will kill us all!"

"What are we going to do now?" asked Ravage.

Just then, Smokescreen's holoform noticed the drones, even if they were still disguised. Unfortunately, it seemed that the disguises were already falling apart.

"There you are, Cons!" thundered Smokescreen.

"Scrap!" exclaimed Frenzy, "let's get out of here!"

Smokescreen's holoform began chasing the drones as they sped through the park, barely making it to safety outside the Magic Kingdom.

"So," panted Ravage, "does anyone have a Plan B?"


	15. There and Back Again

Later that evening, Bailey and Mearing were waiting at the front of Pop Century Resort until the Autobots arrived. Their holoforms, Lennox and Epps hopped out and approached the women.

"We found some shards in the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios," reported Optimus's holoform.

"Shouldn't we take this conversation somewhere private?" objected Bailey.

"Yeah," agreed Lennox, "I'd rather not attract any attention."

"Not even if someone's spying on us," added Epps.

Bailey, Mearing, Lennox, Epps and the holoforms headed for a secluded area, where they set down the shards, allowing Bailey to absorb them into her bracer.

"Ok," smiled Bailey, "I'm good to go. So, I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," nodded Smokescreen, "let's just hope those Cons don't stalk you again."

"Well then," replied Mearing, "good night."

* * *

Meanwhile, Laserbeak, Ravage and Frenzy cowered before Soundwave while in a secluded place somewhere in Disney World Resort.

"You idiots," scolded Soundwave, "Lord Megatron will be furious. You nearly revealed our presence to the Autobots!"

"Well," retorted Frenzy, "Laserbeak was the one who suggested that I place a tracer on the human."

"But _**you**_ failed to do so," reminded Soundwave.

Frenzy groaned in disgust.

"Now," asked Soundwave, "have you found any shards?"

Frenzy, Laserbeak and Ravage pulled out only a few shards and set them on the ground.

"This is all we can find," answered Ravage.

"How disappointing," sighed Soundwave.

* * *

The next day, Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten went to Epcot. They started the morning by taking pictures with a few Disney mascots at the Epcot Character Spot. They then went on to enjoy Mission: SPACE, SeaBase, Spaceship Earth and The Seas with Nemo and Friends.

After lunch, Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten began exploring the World Showcase. While exploring the Japan showcase, they suddenly came across a mysterious Japanese woman in a military-style uniform.

"Excuse me," asked Kirsten, "do you work here?"

The Japanese woman turned around and approached Bailey, Clayton, Kirsten and Mearing.

"No," answered the Japanese woman, "I'm only searching for some shards."

"What shards?" questioned Kirsten, "can we help you?"

"I don't need help from you," assured the Japanese woman, "I have this taken care of. Although, my crew only managed to find a couple of shards in the Magic Kingdom yesterday, and one of them suggested that someone else is looking for them as well."

"What do these shards look like?" clamored Clayton.

"Very well," sighed the Japanese woman, "I will show you, but you will not tell anyone about this. Understand?"

Bailey and Clayton nodded. The Japanese woman pulled a shard out of her pocket and flashed it to Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten. To Bailey and Mearing's surprise, the shard was actually an AllSpark shard.

"Ooh, pretty!" chirped Kirsten, "what's it for? Who else wants it? Are they mean, bad people? I bet they look scary."

The Japanese woman placed the AllSpark shard back into her pocket.

"That's none of your concern, little girl," replied the Japanese woman.

"Rude," muttered Kirsten.

Without saying anything, the Japanese woman marched away.

"Say," whispered Clayton, "was that an AllSpark shard you guys were talking about?"

"Yes, Clayton," nodded Mearing, "it was. Bailey, send our friends a picture of that woman and have them keep an eye on her."

"Got it," affirmed Bailey.

Bailey sprinted towards the Japanese woman, managing to catch up with her.

"What do you want?" growled the Japanese woman.

"Uh," stammered Bailey, "can I take a picture of you? It's just for personal reasons."

The Japanese woman didn't say anything, but she noticed the bracer on Bailey's wrist.

"Hold out your wrist," commanded the Japanese woman.

"Why?" asked Bailey.

"Just do as I say," insisted the Japanese woman.

Sighing, Bailey held out her right wrist, prompting the Japanese woman to inspect her bracer.

"Interesting," mused the Japanese woman, "you have the same bracer as I do."

"Huh?" warbled Bailey.

"Go ahead," smirked the Japanese woman.

Upon cue, Bailey pulled out her smart phone and snapped a picture.

"So," asked the Japanese woman, "what is your name?"

"Uh," answered Bailey, "Bailey. And you?"

"Akane Ozaki," replied the Japanese woman, "that's all you need to know right now. We will talk later."

Akane sauntered past Bailey without saying anything further. Sighing, Bailey returned to Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten.

"I got the picture and her name," reported Bailey.

"Really?" chirped Kirsten.

"Yeah, she said her name was Akane Ozaki," nodded Bailey.

"Get our guys on it here," commanded Mearing, "I sent the info to NEST and the CIA. They'll investigate her."

* * *

The next day, Bailey, Clayton, Kirsten and Mearing went to the Animal Kingdom. Meanwhile, Lennox, Epps, and the holoforms of Optimus, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Smokescreen and Arcee completed searching Epcot, the Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. At the moment, they gathered before the officials in an office.

"Say," asked Lennox, flashing a shard, "have you found any of these?"

"Can't say we have," answered an official, "but we'll let you all search everywhere for 'em, since you people know what you're doing."

"Thank you," smiled Optimus.

Lennox, Epps and the Autobots' holoforms left the office and headed outside the building.

"Well," sighed Arcee, "I guess we'll have to search the other parks and the resorts next."

"That is correct," agreed Optimus, "Darcy."

After approaching the alt modes, Lennox, Epps and the Autobots drove from the office building and headed towards Pop Century Resort, where they spotted a Rosenbauer Panther near the parking lot. Lennox, Epps and the holoforms hopped out and approached the fire truck, whose holoform also hopped out.

"We have yet to search the resorts and the other parks," reported Optimus.

"I already searched here," replied Sentinel, "have you found this Akane yet?"

"Sadly, no," answered Optimus, "we don't even know who she's working for."

Lennox checked his smart phone.

"Wait," paused Lennox, "Bailey and Mearing sent us a picture of her."

"Are you going to show us?" asked Ironhide.

Lennox flashed his smart phone, showing the holoforms the picture.

"That's her," muttered Sentinel.

"Bailey told me that this woman also had the same bracer as she did when I checked on her last night," mentioned Optimus.

"Mhmm," nodded Sentinel.

"Do you think the Decepticons would go after this woman, too?" asked Arcee.

"Possibly," answered Sentinel.

"So how do we get a hold of this Akane?" asked Bumblebee.

"Beats me," shrugged Epps.

* * *

Two days later, after breakfast, Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten packed up and exited Pop Century Resort, where they were greeted by Samuel Prior.

"Oh," joked Clayton, "is this old man going to take us home?"

"I'll show you old in a minute," growled Sentinel.

"Careful, Clayton," whispered Bailey, "that old man is actually a giant alien robot."

"Which one?" asked Clayton.

"Sentinel Prime," sighed Bailey.

"You coming or not?" groaned Sentinel.

"Sentinel?" paused Clayton, "I don't think I met that one."

"Sentinel's the one who teleported us here," clarified Bailey.

"Oh, ok," smiled Clayton.

Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten hopped into Sentinel's alt mode and set down the luggage. Upon cue, the Rosenbauer Panther drove out of the parking lot, followed by Optimus, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Smokescreen and Arcee's alt modes.

"Damn this traffic," growled Sentinel.

"Well," replied Clayton, "I guess it gets pretty busy in Disney World, since it's summer."

Bailey, Clayton and Kirsten flinched in surprise the instant Sentinel blared his horn.

"MOVE IT," shouted Sentinel, "YOU IDIOTS! THE DAMN LIGHT'S GREEN!"

"Hey, it's ok, Sentinel," assured Bailey, "it may be crowded, but at least we haven't seen any accidents take place."

Sentinel sighed in frustration. Eventually, the Autobots made it through the busiest of traffics and were now driving down the road, trying to find a place to teleport back to base without being spotted. Suddenly, some suspicious vehicles started following them.

"Oh frag," muttered Smokescreen, "Cons!"

"Dammit!" exclaimed Sentinel, "hold on, peeps, we may have to go off-roading!"

"Is this tin can even _**built**_ to go off-road?" warbled Clayton.

"That's not going to stop him," replied Mearing.

Sentinel and the Autobots drove off the road and reached the woods. Suddenly, Soundwave blocked their path while the Vehicons surrounded them.

"Scrap," muttered Sentinel.

"If we are to survive," sighed Optimus quietly, "we have no choice but to drop our cover."

Bailey, Clayton, Mearing and Kirsten hopped out of the Rosenbauer Panther while Lennox and Epps hopped out of the Peterbilt semi truck, allowing the Autobots to transform.

"Unfortunately for you, Cons," grumbled Sentinel, "I'm in a terrible mood right now."

"That doesn't matter," requested Soundwave, "Lord Megatron wants you to hand over the human."

"Yeah, right," barked Bailey, "I'm not going anywhere with freaks like you!"

"Exactly," agreed Sentinel, "now, whose aft do I get to kick first?"

"I'll take care of Blitzwing," offered Optimus, "you take care of Soundwave."

"I call dibs on the police imposter," called Bumblebee.

"And I can take Knockout," added Arcee.

The Autobots charged at the Decepticons. Smokescreen and Ironhide took down some Vehicons while Arcee and Bumblebee took on Knockout and Barricade. While Optimus brawled with Blitzwing, Sentinel slashed his Primax blade at Soundwave, but to his dismay, he couldn't get a hit. The elder Prime was rather hesitant on whether he should pull out his Cosmic Rust gun, but he suddenly heard screaming, prompting him to turn around. To his horror, Soundwave managed to snatch Clayton and Kirsten.

"Clay!" panicked Bailey.

"Let me go," shouted Clayton, "you dipshit!"

"Hold your fire!" commanded Sentinel, "he's got two of the humans!"

Sentinel turned to Bailey.

"Don't approach him," whispered Sentinel, "it's you these aftholes want."

The Autobots and Decepticons stopped their fight and focused their optics on Sentinel and Soundwave.

"If you don't surrender the human," threatened Soundwave, "I will kill this man and this child."

"Do it," warned Sentinel, growling, "and I'll make you _**wish**_ you were dead."

"Heh," scoffed Soundwave, "you are still persistent, aren't you, old bot?"

"Oh, I'll show you old!" thundered Sentinel.

Sentinel leapt at Soundwave and sent a fist into the Decepticon's face, causing him to shout in pain and loosen his grip. Upon cue, Clayton and Kirsten freed themselves and sprinted away from Soundwave.

"Now beat it, Con," snarled Sentinel.

"Fine," huffed Soundwave, "but Megatron will be coming after her next time."

Soundwave, Blitzwing, Knockout, Barricade and the remaining Vehicons retreated.

"Can't we bridge out from here?" asked Smokescreen.

Sentinel focused his optics on Optimus.

"Optimus?"

"I suppose we can," nodded Optimus.

Upon cue, Sentinel pulled out the small control from his subspace compartment while Optimus, Bumblebee and Ironhide picked up Bailey, Clayton, Mearing, Kirsten, Lennox and Epps. The elder Prime activated the space bridge, compelling the Autobots to sprint through it, taking them back to the base. Once the Autobots set down the humans, they pulled dozens of shards out of their subspace compartments.

"That's a lot of shards," commented Sentinel, "any Con trouble before I came?"

"Sammy!" chirped Kirsten.

Suddenly, Kirsten sprinted towards Sentinel and hugged his leg, much to his surprise.

"You saved us!" continued Kirsten.

Sentinel couldn't help but smile at her. At the same time, Bailey used her bracer to absorb the shards.

"Hey, Clayton," called Bailey, "thanks for taking me to Disney World. I had a good time, apart from the Cons trying to attack us."

"You're welcome," smiled Clayton, "I thought I could do something for my best friend in the summer."

"That's not all," reminded Bailey, "remember when I've been talking to my parents on the phone last night?"

"Yeah," replied Clayton.

"They said that they're going to come over next week," explained Bailey, "and they're bringing along my brother, my sister, my sister-in-law, and my nephew."

"Ohhhhhh," moaned Sentinel, "slag."

"Sentinel," asked Bailey, concerned, "are you ok?"

"You don't have a place for all these people to come over to," answered Sentinel, "and how will you explain us?"

"Not to worry," assured Bailey, "my parents said that they'll be staying at a hotel, and you can use your holoforms so that way they don't know you're aliens."

"How will you explain knowing us?" insisted Sentinel, "we don't look like kids."

"Maybe I could introduce you guys as just friends," suggested Bailey.

"You're friends," mused Bumblebee, "with an old guy who could be your grandda."

"You know what?" proposed Sentinel, "I think I'll take Kirsten off Mearing's hands for a bit. She doesn't have a problem with me, and I'm sure Mearing wouldn't mind."

"Fine," sighed Mearing, "just keep your hands to yourself."

"You know me well enough to know that won't be an issue," replied Sentinel, "I haven't been attracted to anyone since…a-a very long time ago."

Sentinel transformed, and placed Kirsten from his leg into his passenger seat.

"So," asked Sentinel, "where to, miss?"

"Not anywhere right now," answered Kirsten, "can I hang out here?"

"Sure!" nodded Bailey, "I can put on a movie."

Kirsten hopped out, allowing Sentinel to transform.

"I'll be parked here," muttered Sentinel, "if you need or want me."

Sentinel sauntered towards his living quarters with Bailey and Kirsten following him. Once inside, Bailey searched through the box of DVDs while Sentinel pulled out his data pad and began reading The Fault in Our Stars.

"Let's see," muttered Bailey, "there's Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings—"

"Oh," chirped Kirsten, "I love Harry Potter!"

"Ok then," nodded Bailey, "Harry Potter it is."

Bailey pulled out Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, turned on the TV, inserted the disk into the PS3 and began playing the movie.


	16. Taken to the Land of the Rising Sun

The next day, Kirsten was sent to the airport after Mearing booked a flight back to her niece's parents.

At the moment, Bailey stood near the door to the medical bay. As far as she knew, Ratchet called her over, but she wasn't sure why. After a while of waiting, the Autobot medic stepped outside and focused his optics on Bailey.

"Ah," said Ratchet, "so you're here."

"What for?" asked Bailey.

"It's very important," answered Ratchet, "I'll tell you when we get inside."

"Ok," nodded Bailey.

Bailey followed Ratchet into the medical bay, where he knelt down, lifted her and placed her on the table. He then picked up what appears to be an armband from his workplace, which caught Bailey's attention.

"Uh, Ratchet," asked Bailey, "what's that?"

"You mean this?" explained Ratchet, flashing the armband, "I made a replica of the tracer the Cons put on Sentinel for you to wear, but only Autobots can track you with it."

"So that way," clarified Bailey, "you would be able to find me if I ever go missing?"

"Yes," nodded Ratchet, "now, hold out your arm."

Upon cue, Bailey held out her left arm. Ratchet placed the armband around her upper arm.

"You may go, now," concluded Ratchet.

Ratchet lowered Bailey to the floor, and then she left the medical bay and sprinted towards Sentinel's living quarters, where she popped in a DVD of Kill la Kill into her PS3 while Sentinel was reading from his data pad. However, when the anime began playing, the sound caught Sentinel's attention, so he stood up and approached Bailey.

"What the frag are you doing now that has to be so loud?" groaned Sentinel.

Bailey snapped her head at Sentinel, startled.

"This is Kill la Kill," answered Bailey, "remember when I referenced it the day after I first came here?"

"Isn't there enough killing going on?" objected Sentinel.

"That's not what I meant, Sentinel," corrected Bailey, "I watched this anime before. Would you like me to tell you about the plot?"

"All right," sighed Sentinel.

"Ok then," explained Bailey, "Kill la Kill is about a teenage girl, Ryuko Matoi, who transfers to Honnouji Academy to find out who murdered her father while carrying a huge scissor blade. When she enters the academy, she suspects that the president of the student council, Satsuki Kiryuin, has some clue about her father's murderer, and she also finds a sentient outfit called a Kamui, or Godrobe, and learns that she can become powerful by just wearing it. She names her Kamui Senketsu, or Fresh Blood."

"Eesh," commented Sentinel, "that's weird."

"Yeah, I know," agreed Bailey, "and along the way, Ryuko makes friends with Mako Mankanshoku, discovers the secrets of Life Fibers, which hold together Goku Uniforms and Kamuis alike, and finds that her father's killer is the Grand Couturier, Nui Harime, who works for Satsuki's mother, Ragyo Kiryuin, who happens to be the main villain of the anime. Later on, she teams up with a rebel force called Nudist Beach and eventually Satsuki to stop the Life Fibers from destroying the planet. Fortunately, Life Fibers don't exist in this universe."

"Nudist Beach?" exclaimed Sentinel, "ick! No thank you!"

"Ok," sighed Bailey, "I guess I'll put on some headphones."

Bailey plugged the headphones into the TV while Sentinel returned to sit down on his berth to read from his data pad.

* * *

Later that evening, after dinner, Bailey changed into her pajamas once she returned to the living quarters.

"Evening, Bailey," muttered Sentinel.

"I had a nice dinner," replied Bailey, "are you still on that ebook?"

"Mhmm," nodded Sentinel, "it is quite sad."

"What do you mean?" asked Bailey, confused.

"They have terminal cancer," explained Sentinel softly, "they will both die."

"I see," murmured Bailey.

Bailey climbed up Sentinel's drape and lay next to his head.

"I took my sister to see that movie before I moved here," admitted Bailey, "it was really emotional, but since my sister only tolerates happy endings, she left the theater minutes before the movie ended."

"I see why," agreed Sentinel.

"Yeah," added Bailey, "and a couple of years ago, my sister read the Fifty Shades trilogy and became an instant fan. However, I did some research on BDSM and realized that Fifty Shades paints a bad picture on BDSM. And to make matters worse, it romanticizes abusive relationships."

"English please?" requested Sentinel, giving a confused stare.

"Well," clarified Bailey, "Fifty Shades of Grey was originally a Twilight fanfiction, but without the vampires or werewolves, and includes terribly written sex."

"Ok," insisted Sentinel, "and what is BDSM?"

Bailey stammered for a moment. She knew a couple of guys she met online enjoy being submissive in BDSM, but she wasn't sure how to explain the term in detail.

"All I could say is," sighed Bailey, "that it's a variety of erotic practices consisting of domination and submission, roleplay, restraint and all that whatnot. I can't really explain it to you in detail, but I can find a few articles about for you if you'd like. I do know that safety and consent is very important."

"Ah, I see," agreed Sentinel, "I've not read this Fifty Shade thing."

"Good," smiled Bailey, "me neither."

Bailey leaned closer to Sentinel's face and hugged him. She noticed that he gave her a puzzled look.

"I guess you could say that I'm starting to get interested in you," admitted Bailey.

"Interested?" paused Sentinel, confused, "what?"

"Uh, never mind," stammered Bailey.

Bailey released her embrace and nestled into Sentinel's shoulder as she drifted off to sleep.

"Hmm," muttered Sentinel, "young hormonal girls."

* * *

The next day, Bailey was busy with her job in GameStop. As anticipated, there were plenty of customers eager to get their hands on the newest games when they entered the store.

It is lunch break at the moment, so Bailey went outside to munch on the sandwich she packed up this morning. Just as she was finishing lunch, she noticed an expensive-looking car park near GameStop and Akane emerged, along with a few Japanese people in military-style suits.

"Akane!" exclaimed Bailey, "what are you doing here!?"

"Remember when I said that we will talk later?" reminded Akane.

"Yeah," demanded Bailey, "but how did you know where to find me?"

"I did some research on you," explained Akane, "now I want you to come with us. Your presence is needed."

"Are you serious?" protested Bailey, "I'm in the middle of my shift!"

Akane leaned closer to one of her henchmen and whispered into his ear. Upon cue, he entered the store.

"Not to worry," assured Akane, "we can just tell your manager that you have a very important appointment."

"With freaks like you?" spat Bailey, "no way! I'm not going!"

Without saying anything, Akane stepped towards Bailey and leaned closer.

"W-What…what do you think you're….doing?" muttered Bailey.

"It seems that you are getting suspicious of us," said Akane, "so it looks like I have no choice."

The next thing she knew, Bailey felt a sharp needle pierce her neck and before long, she blacked out and collapsed into Akane's arms as the Japanese woman deactivated the injector and tucked it into her pocket. Just then, one of her henchmen emerged from the store.

"The manager has bought the story," he reported.

"Good," smiled Akane, "let's get going. She'll probably wake up in a few hours."

Akane carried Bailey into the car and placed her in the backseat before fastening the seat belt. After that, she hopped into the passenger seat while her henchmen hopped into the car.

"Take us to the chopper," commanded Akane, "and don't do anything disgusting with our guest. We are better than that."

The expensive-looking car began driving out of the parking lot, which caught Bumblebee's attention. He wasted no time as he gave pursuit and activated his com-link.

"Optimus," reported Bumblebee, "we have trouble! Akane has Bailey and they're driving off now."

"Are you following her at the moment?" asked Optimus over the com-link.

"Yes sir," nodded Bumblebee.

"Try to recover Bailey and convince Akane to return to base with you," instructed Optimus over the com-link.

"I'm on it!" acknowledged Bumblebee.

Bumblebee pursued the car to an open area where a helicopter was waiting. Strange, it's not Blackout's alt mode, so it is possible that Akane is not working for the Decepticons after all. However, Akane and her henchmen disembarked with Bailey in her arms and boarded the helicopter.

"All right," commanded Akane, "take us up!"

The helicopter began to take off as Bumblebee raced forward, transformed and jumped after the helicopter, trying to grab it. Unfortunately, he failed to do so and fell flat on his face as the helicopter flew away.

"Scrap!" growled Bumblebee, "Optimus, I failed."

"All right then," instructed Optimus over the com-link, "return to base. We will discuss this matter when you get back."

"Yes, sir," sighed Bumblebee.

Bumblebee stood to his feet and transformed into his alt mode before driving down the road until he reached the base. Once he transformed into robot mode, he was greeted by Optimus, Ratchet, Sentinel and Prowl.

"I knew that woman was trouble," commented Sentinel, "she may not be with the Cons, but she could be just as dangerous."

"Don't you think it could be possible that she might kill her?" asked Prowl.

"I don't know, Prowl," answered Sentinel, "and I'd rather not find out the hard way."

"The only way to know is to trace her location," suggested Optimus, "Ratchet?"

"Right this way," instructed Ratchet.

Optimus, Bumblebee, Sentinel and Prowl followed Ratchet into the medical bay, where they studied the map on the terminal screen. They could see a flashing light slowly moving along the map of the United States towards the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

"It's going to be a while before I can determine where they're taking her," explained Ratchet.

"I hope she's ok," sighed Bumblebee.

"Don't worry, Bumblebee," assured Optimus, "we'll get her back."

"Thanks, Optimus," smiled Bumblebee, relieved.

* * *

Bailey slowly opened her eyes and found that she was lying on a bed with only a simple blanket and pillow. Strange, she wasn't even underneath the blanket. She slowly sat up and tried to figure out where she is. Well, she appeared to be in a small simple bedroom, but that still does not solve the question: Where is she? She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the door slide open and she noticed Akane walking in. She instantly remembered the moment when she blacked out and glared at the Japanese woman.

"Oh, I see you are awake, Hanson-san," said Akane, "did you get some nice rest?"

"You're going to pay for kidnapping me," shouted Bailey, furious, "you bitch!"

Bailey charged at Akane, hoping to punch her in the face, but she suddenly felt a hand against her head, strong enough to stop her from charging at the Japanese woman.

"Hmph," commented Akane, "that attitude of yours still amuses me. But that doesn't mean you can try to defy your destiny as the third Keeper of the Cosmic Relic."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" demanded Bailey.

"I will explain everything to you soon," answered Akane, "until then, are you hungry?"

"Not at the moment," replied Bailey.

"In that case," instructed Akane, "follow me. There's something I'd like to show you."

"And you're not going to tell me where I am?" groaned Bailey.

"Oh," explained Akane, "I almost forgot. We are at Cosmosis headquarters in Japan."

"Japan?" exclaimed Bailey, "seriously?"

Akane nodded.

"I'm the President of Organization Cosmosis," continued Akane, "and the second Keeper of the Cosmic Relic."

"I never heard of it," objected Bailey.

"No one has," replied Akane, "how about I give you a tour of the facility?"

* * *

Meanwhile, aboard the Nemesis, Shockwave and Knockout dragged the AllSpark detector down the bridge towards Megatron, who seemed to be interested.

"Finally," marveled Megatron, "it's finished!"

"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Knockout, "it's such a pain in the aft that I had to go without buffing!"

"It would've been highly illogical for you to do," replied Shockwave.

"Are you insulting my paint job?!" snarled Knockout.

"Silence!" roared Megatron, "now show me what the AllSpark detector can do."

"Of course," nodded Shockwave, "Lord Megatron."

Shockwave activated the AllSpark detector after connecting it to the terminal. While the device was running, multiple flashing lights appeared on the map on the screen.

"Ah, good," praised Megatron, "the Autobots can't get to all of these hotspots before us. Start gathering my shards!"

"Right away, Lord Megatron," nodded Shockwave, pointing at Japan on the map, "and we will start there."


	17. The Mega-Upgrade

Akane led Bailey down the corridor until they reached a massive research facility, where they could see a massive piece of the AllSpark floating in a giant glass cylindrical container.

"This is where we do our research on the Cosmic Relic," explained Akane, "we have yet to fully understand its true power."

"Whoa!" exclaimed Bailey, "how many shards did it take to form this piece?"

"Around 356," answered Akane, "Cosmosis has searched most of Asia over the course of ten years after the Cosmic Relic fell to Earth and shattered to pieces."

"So you're searching the entire planet for shards?" clarified Bailey.

"Yes," nodded Akane, "we plan to find all the shards and reconstruct the Cosmic Relic."

"And what are you going to do after that?" asked Bailey.

"We are going to use it to make this planet better for humans and wildlife alike," answered Akane.

"Seriously?" exclaimed Bailey, "how are you going to pull that off?!"

"Did you see through certain greedy corporations making money from damaging the ecosystem," mentioned Akane, "and the corrupt governments in countries like China violating human rights?"

"Huh?" warbled Bailey.

"Not to mention the selfish pro-lifers attempting to eradicate abortion," added Akane, "which only fuels the misogyny next to the stupid rape culture and makes it more dangerous for the pregnant women; and some of the most selfish people that desire to censor the Internet, which would only hinder freedom, and that is a bad sign."

"I thought the United Nations was responsible for managing human rights and all that whatnot," reminded Bailey.

"Yes," agreed Akane, "but it's just not enough, is it? That is why Cosmosis is simply a secret catalyst to the United Nations."

"Then how come no one has ever heard of this Cosmosis?" asked Bailey.

"My father formed this organization ten years ago," explained Akane, "and he asked me to keep this a secret until the Cosmic Relic is reconstructed. He was the first Keeper of the Cosmic Relic, until he died five years ago."

"What happened?" questioned Bailey.

"The Cosmic Relic consumed him," answered Akane softly, revealing her bracer, "and this bracer passed on to me."

"What does this have to do with me?" asked Bailey.

"I want you to join us," requested Akane.

"What?!" exclaimed Bailey, "why?"

"As the third Keeper of the Cosmic Relic," explained Akane, "you can help us with gathering the shards."

"I…I don't know if I can do that," muttered Bailey.

Suddenly, Bailey and Akane heard sirens blaring across the facility.

"Huh?" panicked Bailey, "what's going on?!"

Akane approached one of the engineers and engaged in a brief conversation that Bailey could barely hear. After a moment, Akane stepped towards Bailey.

"We have an intruder headed directly at us," answered Akane.

Just then, an explosion startled the crew as it formed a massive hole in the wall. Bailey's eyes widened in horror as Megatron stepped into the facility.

"No way," gasped Bailey.

"So that's the intruder?" commented Akane, "I'll take care of him."

Akane pressed on the round gem on her bracer on her left wrist, and her uniform instantly materialized into a suit of armor, and she unsheathed her katana from her belt as it transformed into a high-tech katana.

"Uh," muttered Bailey, "I don't think that's going to work."

"It'll be fine," assured Akane, "just find a place to hide!"

Bailey quickly ducked behind a few stack of crates as Akane charged at Megatron, catching the Decepticon leader's attention. Bailey could only watch as Akane slashed at Megatron while dodging the Decepticon leader's attacks.

* * *

Meanwhile, Optimus, Elita and Bumblebee set up the Pillars as Sentinel transferred the coordinates into the Control Pillar.

"How much time do we have left?" asked Bumblebee.

"Not much," replied Elita, "I have a feeling that either Akane or the Decepticons might take her life. But we can't risk that, can we?"

Elita, Bumblebee and Optimus scrambled out of the way.

"Commencing transport," announced Sentinel.

Sentinel pressed on the top of the Control Pillar, activating the space bridge.

"Autobots, roll out!" declared Optimus.

Sentinel, Optimus, Bumblebee and Elita raced through the space bridge, taking them to the Cosmosis headquarters in Japan. To their surprise, Megatron was inside the building as Demolishor, Bonecrusher and Brawl climbed through the hole.

"Follow me," instructed Sentinel.

Sentinel led Optimus, Elita and Bumblebee through the hole in the wall. Once inside, the elder Prime plowed into Megatron, catching the Decepticon leader and Akane's attention.

"What the—" paused Akane.

"Prime!" thundered Megatron.

"I thought I smelled a pile of slag here!" snarled Sentinel.

"Don't tell me these robots are after the Cosmic Relic, too?" muttered Akane.

Elita charged at Brawl while Bumblebee charged at Demolishor. Optimus noticed the floating piece of the AllSpark in the container.

"What in Primus's name?" whispered Optimus.

Bailey crept out of her hiding spot and sprinted towards Optimus, catching Akane's attention.

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Akane, "I thought I told you to hide!"

"Optimus," called Bailey, "can you help me get to that piece of the AllSpark?"

Optimus smashed the glass container with all his strength, knelt down and scooped up Bailey with his hand.

"Hurry!" commanded Optimus.

Optimus placed Bailey inside the container as she held up her right wrist. Just as she began absorbing the AllSpark piece, the Autobot leader was suddenly tackled down by Bonecrusher as Megatron shoved Sentinel out of the way. Bumblebee and Elita weren't faring well either, as Demolishor and Brawl got the upper hand and pinned them down. Already, the research facility has taken plenty of damage as Megatron trudged around the room, trying to find any AllSpark shards, only to lay his optics on Bailey as she finished absorbing the AllSpark piece. Sentinel managed to get back to his feet and noticed that Megatron began charging at the cylindrical container, with Bailey still inside.

"You leave me no choice, my son," muttered Sentinel.

Sentinel pulled out his Cosmic Rust Gun and shot Megatron in the leg, causing him to shout and stumble in pain as his leg began disintegrating. Upon cue, Sentinel sprinted towards the cylindrical container and scooped up Bailey with his free hand.

"Sentinel!" exclaimed Bailey.

"Are you all right?" asked Sentinel.

"Yeah," nodded Bailey, "what kind of weapon was that?"

Just then, Shockwave appeared and severed Megatron's disintegrating leg, compelling the Decepticon to groan in pain.

"I'll explain at the base," replied Sentinel.

Sentinel turned to Optimus.

"Optimus!" called Sentinel, "help me—AAGHH!"

Just before he could reach out and touch Optimus, a Cosmosis worker gave him a powerful and painful electric shock with an electric prod, causing him to fall in front of his son. While Bailey fell out of the elder Prime's hand, Optimus struggled to free himself under Bonecrusher's weight as Shockwave helped up Megatron and supported his weight. Furious, Bailey raced towards Akane.

"What do you think you're doing?!" demanded Bailey, "let him go!"

"We have been trying to capture these things," explained Akane, "for studying."

Sentinel shrieked as he was shocked again.

"Optimus," commanded Sentinel, "Bailey, AAGH, get out of here! Save the AllSpark!"

Sentinel screamed when a more powerful charge was sent through him. Bailey could see someone taking notes as the elder Prime lay stunned and twitching on the floor as he was shocked yet again.

"Amazing, Ozaki-sama," commented a worker, "its brain is still highly active. It doesn't perceive pain at all."

Bailey couldn't bear to see Sentinel in any more pain as Optimus still struggled to free himself. Little did she know, her bracer was flickering with light. But right now, she had to do something, although she didn't pay attention to Akane as the Japanese woman groaned and began stepping towards the elder Prime.

"I SAID STOP IT!" shouted Bailey.

Bailey charged at the worker and forcibly yanked the electric prod out of his arms.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" demanded Akane.

Just as Bailey tossed the prod aside, Megatron shot at her feet, startling her and forcing her to dodge the shot.

"Silence!" roared Megatron, "now listen to me!"

Megatron focused his optics on Bailey, who glared at him as she bared her teeth and clenched her fists.

"You, Bailey," demanded Megatron, "surrender yourself to me now, or I will kill every single Autobot here…"

Megatron tapped the side of Sentinel's head with the end of his charged gun, much to Bailey's horror.

"…Starting with this one," continued Megatron.

"Oh, no," whispered Bailey.

"Hmph," scoffed Akane, "you think you consider yourself important, don't you, robot? You're as bad as those terrorists from the Middle East!"

Megatron snapped his head at Akane.

"Do not test me, human!" snarled Megatron.

Bailey couldn't bring herself to move, as it seemed apparent she was frozen in fear. Before she could say anything, she suddenly noticed her bracer began glowing to the point where it lit up the room.

"Wha—" paused Bailey.

Fifteen spherical lights suddenly emerged from her bracer and rose high into the air. Four of those lights descended onto Sentinel, Optimus, Bumblebee and Elita, fusing with them as a round gem formed on Bailey's bracer.

"Impossible!" gasped Sentinel.

As the other spherical lights zipped out of the facility, the glowing inside the Autobots' chests faded, except for Optimus's spark chamber.

"Wait," paused Bailey softly, "does this have something to do with…the Mega-Evolution from Pokémon X and Y?"

Bailey examined the round gem on the palm side of her bracer before glancing back at Optimus. She pressed on the gem, allowing her bracer to charge up before she raised her arm high into the air, causing the light inside the Autobot leader's spark chamber to envelop him and modify his appearance. Optimus gained powerful attachments resembling parts of a jet. He seized the chance by freeing himself from Bonecrusher's grip, much to Megatron's surprise.

"What the frag," asked Sentinel, confused, "is Pokey-man ex-wife?"

Sentinel struggled to get back to his feet as Optimus tackled Demolishor and then Brawl, freeing Elita and Bumblebee.

"I'll explain about Pokémon when we get back," answered Bailey.

Optimus charged at Bonecrusher as Elita pounced on Brawl and sliced off one of his weapons with her arm blade. The Autobot leader fired a powerful shot from his new blaster, which hit Bonecrusher in the torso. He then extended his arm blade and snagged Bonecrusher's arm just as the Decepticon charged at him. Optimus wasted no time as he severed the arm, causing Bonecrusher to shout in pain. At the same time, Elita jumped off of Brawl just as she finished disarming him, but before she could finish him off, he and Demolishor retreated. Meanwhile, the Autobot leader managed to grab Bonecrusher by his neck and he stabbed the Decepticon's head, severing it in the process. Once he tossed the corpse aside, Optimus focused his optics on Megatron and aimed his arm blade at the Decepticon leader.

"I am a peaceful mech," warned Optimus, "but if you threaten Bailey or my father again, I will become very violent with you, and that's a promise!"

"And you know how violent I can be as well," retorted Megatron, before groaning in pain, "Shockwave, I don't think I can walk by myself."

Just then, a massive robotic worm appeared out of nowhere, picking up Megatron and Shockwave while Sentinel gently picked up Bailey and she nestled into his chest.

"We _**will**_ have the AllSpark carrier, Autobots!" declared Shockwave, "mark my words!"

"Come here and I'll mark your words," snarled Sentinel, "you slagger!"

Shockwave and Megatron left on the robotic worm as it damaged some of the equipment along the way. Bailey pressed on the gem on her bracer, deactivating Optimus's mega-upgrade form as he focused his optics on Akane and knelt down to her level.

"Why would you target one of your own like this?" demanded Optimus, "she is no threat to you."

Akane reverted her armor into her uniform.

"I never considered her a threat to begin with," replied Akane, "in fact, I considered her to be an ally."

"Last time I checked," reminded Sentinel, "allies don't kidnap each other against their will. Speaking from personal experience, I know only enemies do that."

"That's why I intended to recruit her in our mission to reform society and make it a better place," clarified Akane, "one where everyone can thrive in freedom. Does the term freedom exist in your vocabulary?"

Optimus let out a sigh.

"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings," answered Optimus, "a right which you denied Bailey when you abducted her against her will. Did it not occur to you that she has family and friends who will worry? Or do you, like the Decepticons, not care about such things, as long as your goals are achieved?"

"Yeah," added Bailey, "and Akane, the Cosmic Relic is actually called the AllSpark."

Akane turned her glance at Bailey.

"So, Hanson-san," asked Akane, "have you made up your mind, yet?"

"Sorry," sighed Bailey, "but I can't join you."

"How disappointing," muttered Akane.

Akane returned her glance at Optimus.

"Although," continued Akane, "you do bring up an interesting point. All right, perhaps you could tell me more about these Autobots and Decepticons?"

"I ent having naught to do with you," growled Sentinel, "not after you tried to slay me like an animal. I can't force you, Optimus, but I'm done here. I'm returning to base."

Sentinel began to set down Bailey, but she tightly clung onto his arm.

"Wait!" paused Bailey, "let me go with you. Besides, I think Akane is also carrying the AllSpark."

"All right, then," nodded Sentinel, "I think some Clay guy is there anyway, talking Ratchet's audial off."

"Bumblebee, Elita," announced Optimus, "you two may return with him."

"You're not coming with us?" objected Elita.

"I still have business to attend here," explained Optimus.

Akane turned to the workers.

"In that case," commanded Akane, "I forbid anyone from using our technology against our new guest; not even the electric prods. Understand?"

"Yes," nodded a worker, giving a bow, "Ozaki-sama."

Sentinel pulled the small control out of his subspace compartment and focused his optics on Bailey as he emerged from the hole, followed by Bumblebee and Elita.

"You ok, kid?" asked Sentinel.

"I'm fine," answered Bailey, "Akane didn't hurt me, although I have to admit she is a weirdo to me. And I'm not a kid anymore."

"You are to him," mentioned Bumblebee, "even Optimus is a kid to him."

"Ugh," muttered Bailey, glaring at Bumblebee, "I'm an adult, for God's sake!"

After Sentinel activated the space bridge, Bumblebee and Elita followed him as they teleported back to base.


	18. A Quiet Interlude

After the space bridge closed, Optimus spent less than an hour explaining about the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons on Cybertron and their objective to find the AllSpark.

"So," clarified Akane, "the Decepticons plan to conquer this planet?"

"Yes," nodded Optimus.

"Hmm," mused Akane, "they sound worse than the Nazis."

Akane slightly rolled up her sleeve, revealing her bracer before Optimus.

"And I'm rather surprised that the Cosmic Relic is actually this AllSpark," continued Akane, "which resides in this bracer as well as Hanson-san's."

"Her name is Bailey," corrected Optimus.

"And who are you to correct me?" snapped Akane, "I know what her name is!"

"You don't," replied Optimus, "or you would call her by it."

"The reason I call Bailey 'Hanson-san' is to uphold our culture," explained Akane, "it is a custom of respect."

"It is respectful to call people by the wrong name?" objected Optimus, hoping she gets that he doesn't understand what she was talking about.

Akane shook her head. She then proceeded to explain about the Japanese honorifics.

"…Why I use Hanson-san is that our people address others by their last names," continued Akane, "and we may address others by their first names sometimes. Does Bailey-san sound better to you?"

"Just Bailey will do," sighed Optimus.

"Well," proposed Akane, "aside from that, perhaps I could help you fight against these Decepticons you speak of. In fact, if you are looking for the shards as well, I can help you with that. After all, Cosmosis stands for the benefits of the humans and wildlife alike."

"I must remind you that we too are people," replied Optimus, "not wildlife. And the AllSpark would not help you with your goal."

"Why not?" asked Akane.

"Because its power works on machines, metal," explained Optimus, "it would transform all of Earth into a metal planet, like Cybertron. There would be nothing organic left."

"In that case," commented Akane, "we'll find another method to reform global society. You are free to keep the AllSpark once we unite all of the shards."

"Thank you," smiled Optimus.

"And you are free to leave, Optimus Prime," nodded Akane, observing the destruction, "I'll meet up with you once I ensure the facility gets repaired, considering the damage your enemies left behind."

* * *

Back at the base, Bailey was just heating up dinner while Sentinel went to the medbay. She didn't pay attention to Smokescreen's alt mode as he entered the hangar. Clayton hopped out, allowing Smokescreen to transform.

"Thanks, Smokey!" smiled Clayton.

"You're welcome," replied Smokescreen, "uh…sir? Ma'am? I don't know."

"I don't mind being called ma'am," chuckled Clayton, scratching his head.

Clayton turned his glance towards Bailey.

"Hey, Bails!" called Clayton, "are you doing ok?"

Bailey yelped in surprise as she snapped her head towards Clayton.

"Clay?!" exclaimed Bailey, "I didn't think you'd come here."

"I heard about your reverse abduction," answered Clayton, "usually, it's the aliens who abduct you and the humans save you, but I guess for you it was the other way around."

"Yeah," remarked Bailey, "and the abductors just wanted me to join their crazy quest for justice."

Once she heard the microwave beep, Bailey pulled out her dinner and discarded the clear cover. She snatched a plastic fork from the counter before she sat down to eat as Clayton approached and sat down beside her.

"What kind of crazy quest?" asked Clayton.

"Let's just say that they're tired of those corrupt government officials around the world," suggested Bailey.

"Especially the homophobes?" added Clayton.

"Yeah," nodded Bailey, "I guess you could say that."

"I agree," agreed Clayton, "I'm glad my parents didn't mind about me being gay, but I'm still haunted by some of my teachers nagging me to just get a girl instead."

"I know," replied Bailey.

After a while of silence, Bailey finished her dinner and discarded her dinner tray and plastic fork.

"So," chirped Bailey, "since you came here, how about a game of Super Mario 3D World?"

"What?" answered Clayton, "so I can kick your butt? Sure!"

Bailey burst into laughter for a brief moment before leading Clayton out of the hangar and into Sentinel's living quarters. While Bailey began setting up the Wii U, Clayton noticed that Sentinel was reading from his data pad.

"I didn't know robots could be bookworms," commented Clayton.

Sentinel focused his optics on Clayton.

"And apparently," remarked Sentinel, "you didn't know we could hear, either."

Clayton stammered nervously as Sentinel stared at him.

"So," stuttered Clayton, "what you reading?"

"It's called Divergent," answered Sentinel.

Just then, Bailey inserted the disk into the console.

"Ok," announced Bailey, "it's ready!"

"Awesome!" cheered Clayton.

"Use headphones, will you?" advised Sentinel.

Bailey was willing to comply, but she noticed that there was only one slot for headphones on the TV.

"Sentinel," admitted Bailey, "I hate to say this, but the TV can only hold one set of headphones."

"Ugh," grumbled Sentinel, "just my fraggin luck."

Sentinel got back to his feet and headed out of his living quarters.

"Hey," asked Clayton, "where are you going?"

"I'm gonna borrow someone else's room so that noise machine doesn't drive me mad," answered Sentinel.

"Ok then," nodded Bailey, "we'll call you when we're done."

Just as Bailey and Clayton began playing Super Mario 3D World, Sentinel stepped outside and came across Elita.

"Optimus just called," reported Elita, "he is ready to be bridged back."

"Thanks," smiled Sentinel.

Sentinel approached the Control Pillar and was about to activate the space bridge, but he stopped and focused his optics on Elita.

"I hear you have a sort of," mentioned Sentinel, "interest…in my son, Optimus, yes?"

"Well, yes," admitted Elita, trying to hide a blush.

"Take care of him, then," advised Sentinel, "I won't be here for him forever."

Sentinel activated the space bridge, and before long, Optimus emerged from the portal. The elder Prime shut off the space bridge and approached his son.

"Optimus," requested Sentinel, "I hate to be the bothersome old parent, but may I borrow your quarters for a bit? The humans are playing with that obnoxious televised combat thing or whatever they call it."

"Yes," nodded Optimus, "just let me put away the Pillars."

" _Naérlesdún, ma t'sonyu_ ," smiled Sentinel.

Optimus and Elita began gathering the Pillars as Sentinel headed into his son's living quarters, where he sat down on the berth and continued to read from his data pad. After a while of silence, Optimus entered his living quarters and sat down beside the elder Prime, catching his attention.

"So," asked Sentinel, "how did the negotiation go?"

"Akane has agreed to assist us," answered Optimus, "we came to an understanding."

"Ratchet reported some strange lights appearing," replied Sentinel, "and merging with the other bots."

"It seems that Bailey's bracer chose all of us," mused Optimus, "except for the Decepticons, that is."

Sentinel couldn't help but chuckle at that comment.

"I must say," admitted Sentinel, "it was pretty amazing what you got. No telling what I have."

"Well, yes," agreed Optimus, "when Bailey sent me that power at that time, it didn't hurt….but it felt…rather strange…as if Primus called to me."

"That doesn't surprise me," muttered Sentinel.

"I'm now starting to suspect Primus chose Bailey to assist us," assumed Optimus.

"I'm certain of it," nodded Sentinel.

Sentinel set his data pad aside and placed his arm around Optimus's shoulder.

"I am proud of you, Optimus," smiled Sentinel.

Sentinel pulled his child close and hugged him.

"By the way," mentioned Sentinel, "that Elita…she's a keeper."

"Yes," nodded Optimus, "I have to agree."

Optimus smiled as he returned the embrace.

"You're a good kid, Optimus," praised Sentinel, "I wish your brother had been the same way."

After a while, Sentinel and Optimus released their embrace. The elder Prime picked up his data pad and continued to read. At the same time, Optimus heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," instructed Optimus.

The door opened, revealing Elita.

"May I talk to you for a moment?" asked Elita.

"Of course," nodded Optimus.

Optimus stepped outside and embraced Elita, and she smiled while returning the embrace.

"Thank you for helping us, Optimus," praised Elita, "well, Bailey deserves some credit, too. If her bracer didn't send us this power, I fear the Decepticons would've killed us."

"I'm curious about that," replied Optimus, "because it only happened when Megatron threatened Sentinel."

"I wonder if we could ask Ratchet to study this matter in further detail," pondered Elita.

"I think we could guess without him," suggested Optimus.

"Maybe you're right," agreed Elita.

Optimus and Elita pulled each other into a kiss for only a moment.

"I think you should speak with her about it," advised Optimus, "girl to girl."

Elita nodded in agreement as she and Optimus released their embrace. While the Autobot leader returned to his living quarters, Elita wandered towards Sentinel's living quarters, where Bailey and Clayton were still playing Super Mario 3D World. They seemed busy, so she decided to wait until they were done.

* * *

Meanwhile, aboard the Nemesis, Megatron lay still on the berth in the medical bay with Shockwave by his side.

"What the frag did you do to yourself?" demanded Knockout, "your leg is gone!"

"Sentinel shot our lord with his Cosmic Rust gun," explained Shockwave, "if I hadn't severed the leg, Megatron would've died."

"THAT THING IS REAL!?" exclaimed Knockout, "we're fragged."

"Are you going to provide an artificial leg or not?" asked Shockwave.

"He'd better," muttered Megatron, "or I'll shred him."

"Fine," sighed Knockout, "but it'll take a few Earth days, so be patient."

"I hate your puns," grumbled Megatron.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bailey and Clayton finished playing Super Mario 3D World. After a brief goodbye, Clayton left while Bailey put away the game.

"Bailey," asked Elita, "may I speak with you about something?"

"Uh, sure," nodded Bailey.

Elita kneeled down to Bailey's level.

"Well," replied Elita, "Optimus thinks that….wow, I've never done this. He thinks you are…uh, interested in Sentinel."

"Where did he hear about that?" exclaimed Bailey, "did Sentinel tell him?"

"No," answered Elita, "he's very observant. Why, is it true? It's okay, I won't say anything. This stays between us girls."

"Actually," laughed Bailey, "you can tell the other Autobots that I have a crush on Sentinel. I don't mind. Although, I considered asking out Optimus once, but considering the one time I saw you talking to him, I guess he's already taken."

"Yeah," agreed Elita, "but that doesn't mean he can't have friends. I'm curious, though. What is it about Sentinel?"

"I guess the beard makes him look handsome," admitted Bailey, "and wasn't he a wise leader back on Cybertron?"

"He was," nodded Elita.

"Ok," pondered Bailey, "I was wondering if I should ask him out at some point. Then again, I guess I have a thing for older guys since Sentinel is older than me."

"We all are," replied Elita, "he most likely won't do it. He's had femmes throw themselves at him and he blows them all off."

Bailey remembered that moment when Sentinel told her of his first mate. She figured that his grief must be the reason why he hasn't taken another femme.

"Then," asked Bailey, "do you know what he enjoys doing the most?"

"He just hasn't even thought of dating since," answered Elita, "well, since he lost…her."

"Oh yeah," replied Bailey, "Sentinel told me about her. And to be honest, he's not the only one who lost his first love."

"What do you mean?" questioned Elita, giving Bailey a puzzled look.

"When I was a freshman in high school," explained Bailey, "I began my first relationship with Felix, who happened to be a senior. In fact, he was a huge fan of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy and he managed to get me hooked on it. We did go out on a few dates, and maybe I got my first kiss from him, but we never had sex because I wasn't 18 yet. Of course, he was really fascinated with the fact that I liked video games, and he would sometimes play some of them with me when he came over to visit. When graduation day came, his family invited me to watch the ceremony. But after that, something bad happened."

"What was it?" asked Elita.

Bailey let out a sigh.

"While we were driving to my house," continued Bailey, "some stupid drunk driver crashed into us and sent us off the road where the car flipped over. I managed to make it out alive, and so did the parents and his younger siblings. Felix, on the other hand, received the most fatal wounds of the bunch. While I was released from the hospital to my family the following morning, he died a couple of days later."

"I'm so sorry," apologized Elita, "I just hope you realize that isn't nearly the same to Sentinel, who spent millions of years with his love, only to see her die in his arms before she could even give birth to her second child. Not to mention he felt her pain and her death strained their bond. She wanted to close her end, but he wouldn't let her. He even took most of the pain himself, just so she wouldn't suffer and she wouldn't be alone...he was truly with her until the end, and some say she even took part of him with her when she left. That's how much he loved her."

"You mean," clarified Bailey, "he hasn't gotten over it?"

Elita shook her head.

"When you love someone like that," explained Elita, "there's no such thing as 'getting over it', and he still talks to her picture sometimes. That's why he's so protective of Optimus; he's all Sentinel has left of her."

"I see," whispered Bailey, "was there something else you wanted to talk about?"

Just then, Sentinel entered his living quarters.

"Nope," answered Elita, shaking her head, "Optimus is waiting for me."

"Ok then," smiled Bailey, "I'll see you later!"

Elita got back to her feet and left Sentinel's living quarters.

"So," asked Sentinel, "what were you two on about, hmm?"

Bailey couldn't help but blush.

"Well," stammered Bailey, "we were….talking about you. Would you like me to tell you about my first boyfriend after I get changed?"

"Ah, sure," nodded Sentinel, "but….what do you mean talking about me?"

"It's just something to do with relationships," clarified Bailey.

Bailey sprinted towards her living area, where she changed into her pajamas while Sentinel looked away. Once she finished, the elder Prime lay down onto his berth as the human woman climbed up his drape to join him.

"So," asked Sentinel, "what is it you wish to tell me?"

Bailey took a deep breath before relaying the same story she told Elita.

"Were you able to move on?" questioned Sentinel.

"Yeah," nodded Bailey, "I played some video games to cope with the loss."

"I see," sighed Sentinel, "I will never 'get over' Alnai. I guess you'd say I loved her too much."

Bailey didn't say anything, but she nestled into Sentinel's shoulders as she began falling asleep.

"Bailey," reminded Sentinel, "you never told me what you and Elita were saying about me."

"I'll tell you later," muttered Bailey.

Sentinel eventually placed his hand over Bailey protectively as he drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naérlesdún, ma t'sonyu - Thank you, my son


	19. Family Gathering

Four days later, after her shift ended, Bailey was riding in the Rosenbauer Panther on the way to the airport. It was fortunate that none of the Decepticons have intercepted them so far. Once they reached the airport, she hopped out of the fire truck and Sentinel's holoform followed suit. Once they were inside, they laid their eyes on Bailey's family, consisting of her dad Nigel, her mom Kylie, her older brother Denzel, her sister-in-law Melanie, her infant nephew Alvin and her young sister Sophie.

"Oh, there they are," called Bailey, waving her hand, "hi, mom! Hi, dad!"

"Hi, Bailey," smiled Nigel, "I see you brought along an interesting welcoming committee."

"You must be Bailey's family," replied Sentinel, "it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Samuel Prior."

"Well, hi, Sammy," chirped Sophie, "what kind of music do you like to listen to?"

"Oh," answered Sentinel, "many different kinds. Country, Celtic, rock, new age, reggae, some pop, techno, some metal, some film scores and film soundtracks. I hate rap, though."

"Aww," Sophie complained playfully, "you're not going to tell me what your favorite band is?"

"I have far too many to list," replied Sentinel, "there's Evanescence, Within Temptation, Nightwish, Blackmore's Night, Deanta, Celtic Woman, Sugarland, The Band Perry, Thompson Square, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, KISS, Coldplay, Maroon 5, Linkin Park, Alabama, Nickelback, Daft Punk, just to name a few."

"Wow," chuckled Denzel, "that's a lot of bands!"

"All right, then," announced Kylie, "should we get going?"

"Oh yeah, that," chirped Bailey, "Sam, do you know where to find the hotel they're staying at?"

"If you give me the address," suggested Sentinel, "I can use the GPS in the truck."

Nigel gave the address of the hotel to Sentinel's holoform before he led Bailey and her family outside the airport and towards the Rosenbauer Panther, where they hopped in after loading the luggage.

"Seatbelts, please," requested Sentinel, "everyone."

After everyone buckled up, Sophie pulled out her mp3 player and put on her earbuds before turning on some music, rocking along to the tune.

"What are you listening to, Sophie?" asked Sentinel, curious.

Bailey suddenly remembered that Sentinel can still hear what's on the earbuds.

"Oh yeah," answered Sophie, "it's Justin Bieber. Wanna listen?"

"Uh, Sophie," muttered Bailey, "I'm not sure if he even wants to listen to your music."

"No," explained Sentinel, "I'm sorry, but I can't _**stand**_ Justin Bieber. I don't listen to teen idols."

"Aww," whined Sophie, "not even Miley Cyrus? They're the best singers ever!"

"Sophie," assured Melanie, "I can assure you there are better singers out there."

Sentinel's holoform didn't say anything further, but he drove the Rosenbauer Panther out of the airport. After a while, they reached the hotel. Bailey, her family and Sentinel's holoform hopped out of the Rosenbauer Panther and unloaded the luggage, taking it with them on the way to the building.

"Say," asked Denzel, "can we stop by your apartment sometime?"

"Uh," stammered Bailey, "about that…"

"The building is under renovation," lied Sentinel, "so they've moved everyone to temporary housing units. I live in the same building, and that's how I know Bailey."

"I see," proposed Nigel, "maybe we can help you pick out that nice computer desk you wanted while we're here, along with a nice dresser and a nice bed."

"Thanks, dad," smiled Bailey, "so, what are you guys going to be doing tomorrow?"

"How about we go shopping at the mall?" suggested Sophie.

"Uh, sure," nodded Bailey, "I'll bring Clayton along."

"Ok," agreed Kylie, "we'll see you tomorrow, Bails."

"See you, mom," replied Bailey.

Bailey's family headed inside the hotel as she and Sentinel's holoform returned to the Rosenbauer Panther. Once they hopped in, Sentinel drove from the hotel and down the road.

"Hey, Sentinel," reminded Bailey, "remember when I said I'll tell you about my discussion with Elita later?"

"Yes," nodded Sentinel, "what about it?"

Bailey stammered as she blushed. Would Sentinel reject her the same way he blew off the other femmes like Elita said? She did have a passion for video games and anime, but it seemed that her crush on Sentinel might have a place in her heart, sort of.

"Is it…ok if I," asked Bailey, nervous, "go out…with you….sometime?"

Sentinel didn't say anything, but he gave her a puzzled look.

"Ok," admitted Bailey, "I guess it's because I like you."

"I'm not sure I understand," replied Sentinel, "why?"

"I've seen that you're such a kind person," explained Bailey, "considering how much you care about Optimus. I guess that's enough for me to like you."

"I see," muttered Sentinel.

"So," replied Bailey, "you'll think about it?"

"Well," asked Sentinel, "what were you thinking of doing?"

"Maybe we could find a nice place outside where we can listen to our favorite music together?" suggested Bailey, "I could introduce you to some of my favorite music artists."

"Well, alright," nodded Sentinel, "I could do that."

"Thanks!" smiled Bailey.

Soon, the Rosenbauer Panther arrived at the base, and they could see Optimus and Mearing talking to Akane.

"Wait," exclaimed Bailey, "what is she doing here?!"

"No idea," muttered Sentinel, "but I don't like it."

Bailey hopped out of the Rosenbauer Panther, allowing Sentinel to transform as they approached Mearing, Optimus and Akane, catching their attention.

"What's the meaning of this?" demanded Sentinel.

"My crew finished repairing the facility," explained Akane, "so I thought I'd drop by to visit."

"How did you even know how to find this place?!" asked Bailey.

"I contacted her earlier with Optimus's help," explained Mearing.

"And perhaps I could assist the Autobots with gathering the shards," added Akane, "so I think you deserve a nice break. Right, Bailey?"

"What do you mean?" objected Bailey, "I never went out with the Autobots to gather shards!"

"Perhaps," reminded Akane, "but you gained the ability to upgrade their forms, right?"

"You mean the Mega-Upgrade?" clarified Bailey.

"I think she does," nodded Sentinel.

"I'm still surprised that Akane is offering to unite the AllSpark shards for me," replied Bailey, "wouldn't the Decepticons go after her as well?"

"Yes," nodded Sentinel, "but hopefully, they'd send the dumb ones since she doesn't live with Optimus."

"Even if they did," remarked Akane, "I can still kick their ass."

" _ **We**_ kicked their afts last time," retorted Sentinel, " _ **you**_ barely scratched their paint."

"Hmph," scoffed Akane, eyebrows furrowing at Sentinel, "you haven't seen my full potential yet. I was just giving your enemy a warning."

"As in warning the big Rust Bucket to not mess with you?" clarified Bailey.

"We've analyzed all your weapons, Akane," explained Mearing, "and unfortunately, even with the AllSpark enhancement, they won't do much more than scratch a Transformer's paint."

"We'll see about that," remarked Akane, "if you'll excuse me, I'll be heading back to my hotel room."

Akane began marching towards her car where her henchmen were waiting as Bailey turned to Optimus.

"So why did you let her into the base?" asked Bailey.

"I allowed her to come to base in order to negotiate an alliance," explained Optimus.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Bailey and Sentinel in unison.

"Do you have a problem with that?" questioned Mearing.

"Why would you want her to join us?" demanded Bailey, "she's a weirdo!"

"She tried to _**kill**_ me!" added Sentinel, "who's to say the arrogant witch won't do the same to you when you're all in recharge?"

"Akane told me that they're studying Bonecrusher's corpse to better understand our biology so they could improve their weapons to become effective against the Decepticons," answered Optimus.

"I don't trust her as far as I could fraggin' throw her," roared Sentinel, obviously pissed, "I especially don't trust her with the life of my only remaining child!"

"But I do admit that Akane and her organization can have a potential for protecting Earth against the Decepticons," assured Mearing.

Sentinel scooped up Bailey and allowed her to sit on his shoulder.

"Geez," sighed Bailey, whispering to Sentinel, "does Mearing _**not**_ recognize a crazy person when she sees one?"

Sentinel shook his head.

"This is insanity, Optimus!" thundered Sentinel, "you're…..you're acting just like your fraggin' brother!"

Sentinel stormed out with Bailey still on his shoulder. He headed inside his living quarters, where he set her down on his berth while he sat down next to her. She pulled her 3DS from the pocket of her cargo shorts, but she quickly noticed concern in the elder Prime's optics.

"Sentinel?" said Bailey.

"It's disappointing," sighed Sentinel, "I thought he was wiser than this. I've told him not to do things like this."

"I'm starting to suspect that maybe she is trying to trick him or something," assumed Bailey.

"I'm worried," replied Sentinel, "I don't want him to get hurt."

"Maybe I could spy on her and try to find out what she's really up to?" suggested Bailey, "I've had experience with relying on stealth in the Thief games, especially The Metal Age and Deadly Shadows."

"I don't know, Bailey," answered Sentinel, "there's a big difference between doing it in a game and doing it for real. But, you would really do that for me?"

"I could try," nodded Bailey.

"Alright," acknowledged Sentinel, "but be careful."

"Thanks," smiled Bailey, "now all I have to do is to determine when to get started."

"Well," advised Sentinel, "when you're ready, I'll help you if you need it."

Bailey smiled as Sentinel pulled out his data pad and began reading his ebook as Bailey began playing Pokémon Alpha Sapphire.

* * *

Meanwhile, Knockout finished installing Megatron's new leg. While the Decepticon leader began testing it, Soundwave entered the room.

"What is it, Soundwave?" asked Megatron.

"According to the recent calls I've intercepted from Bailey," reported Soundwave, "her family unit has arrived to visit."

"I fail to see the importance of this," replied Megatron, "as the Autobots are no doubt already watching them. However….perhaps someone could trick that Akane into aiding us, since she seems to have complete access to all of them."

"I did some research on this human," explained Soundwave, "but based on her organization's goals, I believe that deceiving her would be impossible."

"Then track down Bailey and tell her to come to us," ordered Megatron, "alone."

"Of course," acknowledged Soundwave, "my lord."

After Soundwave left, Megatron sat up and got off the berth.

"So," asked Knockout, "is the new leg working well, Lord Megatron?"

"Yes," nodded Megatron, "it is."

"Good," smiled Knockout, "now I can get back to buffing."

Megatron sighed as he left the medbay.

* * *

Later that evening, Sentinel returned to his living quarters while Bailey was reading the 3rd volume of Heroman.

"Evening, Bailey," said Sentinel.

Bailey turned her glance at Sentinel.

"Hey, Sentinel," replied Bailey.

"I think I talked some sense into my kid," explained Sentinel, "he's agreed to keep an optic on her when she's around."

"Oh, what a relief!" smiled Bailey.

"Yeah," agreed Sentinel, "was I too hard on him, do you think?"

"A little bit," admitted Bailey, "but I hope his feelings weren't hurt."

"I just," sighed Sentinel, "I've lost one child already. I can't bear to lose another. I'm not young anymore; my spark can't take another beating."

Bailey slipped a bookmark into her manga before putting it away. She approached Sentinel, allowing him to scoop her up and lay down on the berth. She crawled closer to his face and started stroking the smooth wires that made up his beard.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost both of them," continued Sentinel.

"Me neither," replied Bailey, "I hope Optimus survives this war, too."

Bailey continued to stroke Sentinel's beard as she nestled into his shoulder. He let out a deep sigh, as the ceiling of his living quarters split in two and slid open to reveal the sky full of stars.

"Wow," chirped Bailey, "that's so amazing!"

"I did it myself," Sentinel explained softly, "to remind me a little of my home, and how Alnai and I used to drive out into the deserts of Cybertron, where there were no lights, and we'd just lay there and look at the stars…..sometimes I think I see her in them."

A large drop of liquid rolled down Sentinel's face from the corner of his optic, and Bailey instantly realized what it was.

"Oh, Sentinel," whispered Bailey.

Bailey gently placed her hand on Sentinel's face and leaned closer to him. He gave a deep purr, his dim blue optics reflecting the starlight, as if they were a window to the ancient Prime's soul. Once Bailey was close enough, she planted a kiss on the elder Prime's cheek. He placed his hand over her, and his human sized holoform appeared beside her, which resembled his true form.

"Sentinel?" paused Bailey.

"Yes?" replied Sentinel.

"What do I do with the holoform?" asked Bailey.

"It's still me," assured Sentinel, "but smaller."

"Ok," nodded Bailey.

Bailey gently hugged Sentinel's holoform and nuzzled her face against his. He hugged her back while shaking, and she felt her shirt getting wet where his head lay on her shoulder. She stroked the back of his head with her hand, hoping it would soothe him. He simply lay in Bailey's arms.

"Oh, Alnai," sobbed Sentinel, "Megatron…..why?"

"You've been through so much," murmured Bailey, "haven't you?"

"Yes," answered Sentinel, "I tried to talk Megatron out of it, and Primus bless him, he meant well, but he became lost in power."

"So that's how Megatron became a Decepticon," muttered Bailey.

"Yes," agreed Sentinel, his body still shaking with sobs, "and I was expected to just act like it didn't matter, because 'it's your job as Prime'."

Bailey planted a kiss on Sentinel's cheek as he gently stroked her hair with his hand. He soon calmed down.

"Are you feeling ok?" asked Bailey.

"Yes," smiled Sentinel, "thank you."

Sentinel's holoform disappeared, prompting Bailey to nestle closer to the elder Prime's face.

"Maybe you could join us when I go to the mall with my family tomorrow?" proposed Bailey.

"I'd like that," nodded Sentinel, "thank you."

Smiling, Bailey placed her hand on Sentinel's face as she drifted to sleep.


	20. Disappearing While Shopping

The following morning, after breakfast, Bailey, Lennox and Sentinel drove out of the base and down the road until they reached Clayton's apartment. To her delight, the blonde man emerged from the building and sprinted towards the Rosenbauer Panther.

"Hey, Clayton," called Bailey, "thanks for coming!"

"Hey, Bailey," smiled Clayton, "I hope Sophie doesn't bother me too much."

"I hope so, too," agreed Bailey.

Clayton hopped into Sentinel's alternate mode. The Rosenbauer Panther drove down the road until it reached the hotel, where Bailey's family was waiting.

"Hey," chirped Denzel, "there's Samuel's fire truck!"

"And here's Samuel," remarked Sentinel, his holoform leaning out of the window.

"So," asked Nigel, "should we go over the plan?"

"Today's plan is simple," answered Kylie, "we take a look around the mall until lunch, and then we explore the mall for one more hour and then we go browsing for furniture."

"Furniture shopping?" warbled Clayton, confused.

"For my living space back at the base," whispered Bailey.

"Oh," mused Lennox, "Sam's place."

After Sentinel opened his door, Nigel, Kylie, Denzel, Melanie and Sophie hopped in while Melanie carried Alvin in his convertible car seat.

"Oh," chirped Sophie, "I'm so excited!"

"Seatbelts, please," requested Sentinel.

The entire family buckled up while Melanie placed a seatbelt over the convertible car seat.

"Say," asked Denzel, "do you know how to get to Lynnhaven Mall?"

"I have my GPS," answered Sentinel.

"Awesome!" smiled Clayton, "maybe I could check out the GameStop there."

"Sure," agreed Sentinel, "whatever that is."

Sentinel's alternate mode drove away from the hotel and down the road on the trek to Lynnhaven Mall. Before long, the Rosenbauer Panther arrived and picked a spot in the parking lot. Bailey, Clayton, Lennox, Nigel, Kylie, Denzel, Melanie, Sophie and Sentinel's holoform emerged from the fire truck and sauntered towards the mall. Little did they know, Laserbeak was spying on them in plain sight on the roof, and he scanned a nearby seagull before transforming to resemble one.

"Oh," moaned Sophie, "I wish I brought the Twilight DVDs with us, so we could watch it at Clayton's place."

"Heh," chuckled Clayton, "so Bails was right. You're still into Twilight."

"Why wouldn't I be?" replied Sophie, "Edward Cullen is so hot!"

"Please," muttered Sentinel, "glittering pretty boys are _**not**_ hot. He is just a lawyer without a suit. And he's actually cold—"

Just then, Laserbeak flew off the roof and sprayed tiny devices on Bailey and the others, startling them.

"AGH!" exclaimed Sentinel, "stupid seagulls!"

"Damn it," growled Clayton, "why did that seagull have to spray shit on us now?!"

Bailey soon heard Alvin crying, catching Melanie's attention.

"Oh," cooed Melanie, "poor Alvin, did that seagull get you?"

Bailey ran her hands over her body, only to find a miniature device on her shoulder.

"Hey," asked Bailey, "do seagulls spray tiny machines on people?"

"Cons," growled Sentinel, "it's Laserbeak! Bailey, what do I do?"

Lennox found a miniature device in his hair.

"Maybe I could check the others for these things?" suggested Lennox.

"Yes," requested Sentinel, "do so."

Lennox inspected Clayton, Nigel, Kylie, Denzel, Melanie and Alvin, finding tracers in all of them. He then approached Sophie.

"Hey, Sophie," asked Lennox, "did you feel anything land on you from the seagull?"

"Uh, no," answered Sophie, oblivious to the tracer embedded into the flower of her headband, "I checked, but I didn't find anything on me at all."

"Well," sighed Lennox, "all right."

Lennox stepped towards Bailey, prompting her to hand over the tracer she had. He then approached Sentinel's holoform.

"Say," asked Lennox, "did you find yours?"

"Yes," nodded Sentinel, "here."

Sentinel handed over the tracer, and then Lennox leaned closer to his ear.

"Would you feel better if I call Optimus to come over and keep an eye out for Decepticons?" whispered Lennox.

"Please do," requested Sentinel.

"You got it, Sam," nodded Lennox, "just keep Bailey safe."

"I will," nodded Sentinel, "but what if I need to transform?"

"That's what you have your alternate mode for, right?" mentioned Lennox.

The holoform nodded in agreement. Sentinel's holoform led Clayton, Bailey and her family into the mall as Lennox pulled out his smart phone and contacted the base.

"Optimus," called Lennox, "I need you to come over to my location; possible Con problem."

"I'm on my way," affirmed Optimus over the phone, "I'll bring Bumblebee, Ironhide, Jazz and Arcee."

"Great," smiled Lennox, "grab Epps and some of my guys, too, will you?"

"You have my word," answered Optimus.

After that, Lennox ended the call.

* * *

Meanwhile, Laserbeak met up with Soundwave's alternate mode at the outskirts of Lynnhaven Mall.

"I placed the tracers on the humans as you requested," reported Laserbeak.

"Good work, Laserbeak," praised Soundwave.

"However," added Laserbeak, "I believe Bailey has grown suspicious, so I fear that we might not be able to lure her to us so easily. But I do have something that we might use to our advantage."

"Do tell," said Soundwave.

"I overheard a conversation between Bailey and her younger sister, called Sophie," explained Laserbeak, "and I learned that this Sophie loves this Twilight series and Edward Cullen. Maybe if we did a little research on them, we could kidnap Sophie and use her as bait."

"How are her interests relevant?" asked Soundwave.

"Maybe you can use your holoform to disguise as this Edward Cullen," suggested Laserbeak, "and trick her into going on what humans call a date. We can then bring her to Lord Megatron so he can use her to lure Bailey into our hands."

"Ah, it's a very good idea," marveled Soundwave, "we will do it. You go inform Lord Megatron."

"With pleasure, Soundwave," agreed Laserbeak.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sentinel's holoform, Clayton, Bailey and her family spent the entire morning exploring the mall. Clayton bought LittleBigPlanet 3 at GameStop while Nigel got Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Bailey got a few new denim shorts at Old Navy, Sophie got a new dress at JCPenney and Melanie got a new necklace at Helzberg Diamonds. They soon stopped at Payless ShoeSource, where they began browsing for shoes.

"So, Sammy," asked Sophie, "what kind of shoes would you like?"

"Err," answered Sentinel, "I wear Merrells or Weils. They don't carry those here."

"Oh, well," sighed Sophie, gazing at the pair of flat sandals in a box, "I think these sandals would look nice on Bails."

"Oh, really?" warbled Bailey.

Sentinel's holoform simply stood around, looking bored. Sophie continued to browse for shoes as Kylie glanced at her watch.

"Don't you think it's time for lunch?" asked Kylie.

"In that case," suggested Clayton, "we could head over to the food court."

"Sure," nodded Bailey, "that sounds like an awesome idea!"

"Food court?" paused Sentinel, confused.

"Every mall has a food court," clarified Bailey, "they usually consist of an area where you eat along with stations where you can order the food."

"Scrap," muttered Sentinel, "I've never even tried to eat with this thing."

"All right, everyone," announced Nigel, "let's pick our shoes and after we pay for them, let's head for the food court."

"Hey, daddy," requested Sophie, "could you go on ahead without me? I still haven't decided on my shoes, yet."

"All right," agreed Nigel, "just meet us at the food court within an hour, ok?"

"Ok," nodded Sophie.

After Clayton, Kylie and Denzel paid for their shoes, Sentinel's holoform, Bailey, Clayton, Nigel, Kylie, Denzel and Melanie exited the store while Sophie continued to browse for shoes. They wandered through the mall until they arrived at the food court.

Meanwhile, Soundwave's holoform entered the mall while resembling Edward Cullen. He managed to do some research on the Twilight series beforehand as he wandered through the mall, trying to search for Sophie. He found himself entering Payless ShoeSource, where he could see the blond teenager browsing for shoes.

"Excuse me, little girl," interrupted Soundwave, "Sophie, is it?"

Sophie neatly put away the shoe boxes, picked up her purse and turned her glance at Soundwave's holoform. Her eyes widened with delight.

"Oh," chirped Sophie, "you're Edward! Hi, how did you know about me?"

"Ah," marveled Soundwave, "so you know me already. So, what are you doing here all alone?"

Sophie stood up and approached Soundwave's holoform in a flirtatious manner.

"I was just browsing for shoes," answered Sophie, "but I could always go shoe shopping with my friends later."

"Well," purred Soundwave, "you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

"Why, thank you, Edward!" smiled Sophie, "I've always dreamed that you would come for me, and now you're here! Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

"I would love to," nodded Soundwave, "how about a date?"

"You mean right now?" cheered Sophie, "yes, I would love to! Let me call my sister."

Sophie pulled out her smart phone and began calling Bailey.

"Sophie," asked Bailey, "are you done shopping?"

"I couldn't find any nice shoes," answered Sophie, "but I have great news! Edward Cullen has come for me!"

"What?" warbled Bailey over the phone, "Sophie, I thought I told you Edward does not exist!"

"No, seriously," insisted Sophie, "Edward is here, and he is taking me out on a date. Could you tell mommy and daddy that I will meet them back at the hotel by this evening?"

"Sophie, wait!" protested Bailey over the phone, "this Edward you're talking about might be an impostor! Stay where you are! I'm coming to—"

Sophie simply hung up, cutting off Bailey.

"Ok," chirped Sophie, "so where would you like to go for our first date?"

"How about the beautiful woods?" suggested Soundwave.

"Oh," nodded Sophie, "that sounds great!"

Meanwhile, Bailey and Clayton finished their lunch at the food court.

"Hey, mom," requested Bailey, "could you wait here until we get Sophie?"

"And if she's not at Payless," added Clayton, "we'll call you."

"Be careful, sweetheart," nodded Kylie.

"Ok," commanded Bailey, "Sam, Clay, come on! We'd better hurry!"

"I smell a Decepticon," whispered Sentinel, "and the scent is fresh; real fresh."

Sentinel's holoform, Bailey and Clayton sprinted through the corridor of the mall until they reached Payless ShoeSource. They searched the entire store while calling for Sophie, but much to their dismay, she was nowhere to be found.

"Oh no," panicked Bailey, "she's gone! What are we supposed to do, now?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this," asked Sentinel, "but who knows anything about Twilight?"

"I know for a fact that it's a sappy love story based on a Mormon's wet dream," answered Clayton.

"I agree, and Sophie said that she is going out with this Edward guy," added Bailey, "she can't be that far, right?"

"Bailey," instructed Sentinel, "tell Lennox to watch for her."

"Ok," nodded Bailey.

Bailey pulled out her smart phone and called Lennox.

"Hey, Lennox," requested Bailey, "could you do me a favor and keep an eye out for Sophie? She said that she's going out with this Edward Cullen, but I think it might be an impostor."

"You got it," nodded Lennox over the phone.

Satisfied, Bailey hung up.

"A Decepticon impostor," muttered Sentinel, "Bailey, if this gets ugly, I may need to blow my cover in front of your family. And we may need to discover what my Mega-Upgrade is."

"Sure thing," reminded Bailey, "but didn't you say that my siblings would freak out if they saw you?"

"If I have to reveal myself to fight the Decepticons," assured Sentinel, "that will be the least of our problems."

"Great," chirped Clayton, "let's go search the mall!"

Meanwhile, Sophie and Soundwave's holoform managed to sneak outside and hop into Soundwave's alternate mode. Little did they know, Lennox, Epps and Optimus's holoform spotted them as Soundwave drove away from the mall. After a long while, Bailey, Sentinel's holoform and Clayton exited the mall and met up with Lennox.

"Hey, guys," reported Lennox, "I have bad news. I think I saw Sophie leave the mall with Soundwave."

"Ugh," groaned Bailey, "I knew this would happen!"

"When did she leave?" asked Clayton.

"I'm pretty sure they would've been far by now," answered Lennox, "they left about half an hour ago."

"Clayton," ordered Sentinel, "report to Bailey's parents. Lennox, get the family some government protection. Bailey, you're with me. Autobots, roll out!"

"Da," protested Optimus, "that's my line."

* * *

Meanwhile, Soundwave's alternate mode arrived in the woods. It looked beautiful to Sophie as she hopped out.

"Wow," chirped Sophie, "this is so amazing! So, Edward, are we going to find a meadow where you can sparkle in the sunlight for me?"

"In a moment," replied Soundwave, "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine first."

Just then, Megatron emerged from hiding, causing Sophie to shout in shock.

"Greetings, miss," grinned Megatron, "my name is Megatron. What is yours?"

"H-How did you become friends with Edward?" warbled Sophie, frightened.

"Edward?" clarified Megatron, "you mean Soundwave?"

Soundwave switched off the holoform and transformed into his robot mode, startling Sophie.

"Edward does not exist," sneered Soundwave.

"Oh no," panicked Sophie, "what do you want from me?"

"Well," explained Megatron, "it's actually your sister that we want, but I'm sure you can…entertain us for a bit."

Eyes widening in fear, Sophie tried to make a run for it. Sadly, she didn't get very far as Soundwave managed to grab her. She screamed and struggled to free herself as the Decepticon handed her over to Megatron. He pinned her to the ground as his human-sized holoform appeared.

"No," screamed Sophie, "please no! I'm a virgin! Please let me keep it for my future husband!"

"Silence, insect!" roared Megatron, "you are at the will of Lord Megatron now. And I decided you will not be keeping it."

"No," whimpered Sophie, "this can't be happening."

With Starscream, Soundwave, Blitzwing, Shockwave and Brawl watching, Sophie couldn't bring herself to fight back as Megatron's holoform dug underneath her skirt to take off her panties.

"Bailey," Sophie sobbed softly, "where are you?"


	21. The Furious Prime

Meanwhile, Sentinel, Optimus, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Jazz and Arcee drove down the road with Bailey, Epps and Akane riding in Sentinel's alternate mode. Bailey used her smart phone's GPS to locate her sister.

"Hey, Akane," asked Bailey, "do you have any ideas?"

"I was considering tricking the Decepticons into handing over their shards," answered Akane.

"I'm not sure if they would be fooled so easily," objected Epps.

"It's just a suggestion," assured Akane.

Bailey sighed. How could the Decepticons trick her sister when they were only after her? Maybe Megatron was laying a trap? The thought made Bailey feel queasy, but she was even more worried that he could kill her sister. Well, she probably suspected that the Decepticon leader might kill her as well. Before long, the Autobots reached the woods.

"On your guard, Autobots," advised Arcee, "this could be a trap."

The Autobots drove further into the woods until they finally found the Decepticons. Bailey, Epps and Akane hopped out, allowing the Autobots to transform as they approached their enemies.

"You Decepticons are as bad as the Nazis," commented Akane.

"Do not insult me, Akane!" roared Megatron.

"Shut the fuck up, you Rust Bucket," thundered Bailey, "you sent Soundwave after my sister, didn't you?!"

"Ah," marveled Megatron, "so you figured it out. Good job."

"Where's the girl, Megaslag?" demanded Sentinel, pulling out his Primax blade and his shield, "or should I rust off your face this time?"

"In that case, Bailey," answered Megatron, "I'll let you see your little sister one last time before I kill you."

Bailey glared at Megatron and bared her teeth as the Decepticon leader plucked out Sophie from where he was hiding her. He lowered her to the ground, and Bailey's eyes widened in horror at the sight of bruises on her face, arms and legs, as well as some blood staining her skirt. Sophie was barely breathing and she appeared to have passed out. Bailey could even see tears streaming down her sister's face.

"No," gasped Bailey, "what have you done to her?!"

Bailey returned her glance at Megatron and furrowed her eyebrows at the Decepticon leader, who appeared to be smirking.

"YOU SICK FRAGGER!" shouted Sentinel, furious.

Bailey activated her bracer, allowed it to charge up and raised it high into the air, causing the light inside Sentinel's spark to envelop him and transform him into a huge Smaug-like robotic dragon as he lunged at Megatron, tackling the dumbfounded Decepticon leader to the ground.

"Lord Megatron!" panicked Soundwave.

Sentinel snarled its warning at Soundwave before it glared at Megatron.

"You will live only," muttered Sentinel, "and I do mean _**only**_ , because I refuse to stoop to the level of slaughtering my own child."

"Decepticons!" commanded Shockwave, "defend Lord Megatron!"

Starscream, Blitzwing, and Brawl charged at Sentinel, only to be intercepted by Arcee, Optimus, Bumblebee and Ironhide. Sentinel helped keep the Decepticons back by spewing flames. He lowered his shoulder beside Akane and Bailey.

"Get on," ordered Sentinel.

While Epps placed a blanket over Sophie, Akane and Bailey climbed onto Sentinel's back. After Epps carried Sophie onto the elder Prime's back, he leapt into the sky, his huge wings snapped open, carrying them out of weapon range. He then leveled out, floating on a gentle wind.

"Is everyone all right?" asked Sentinel.

Sophie slowly opened her eyes upon recognizing the familiar voice.

"S-Samuel?" whispered Sophie.

Sophie looked around, only to notice Sentinel's dragon wings.

"Why…why am I on a dragon?" stammered Sophie, frightened.

"She's your sister, Bailey," reminded Epps, "you're gonna have to tell her what's going on; especially why she hears Sam's voice, even though he's not here."

"I could show her when he lands," suggested Bailey.

Soon, Sentinel landed in a desolate place outside the city, prompting Bailey and Akane to slide off and Epps carried Sophie as he climbed down. Bailey deactivated the elder Prime's Mega-Upgrade, reverting him to his original form as the African-American soldier carefully laid Sophie to the ground. The blond teenager stole a glance at the massive red Cybertronian.

"AAAHHHH!" screamed Sophie, curling up into a ball, "No, please don't hurt me, you monster!"

"You have nothing to fear from me," assured Sentinel softly, so as not to scare her, "little one."

"But…but," whimpered Sophie, "you're going to do the same thing this….Megatron did to me. Just go away!"

"And we can't just take her to a hospital because?" asked Akane.

"I don't do that, Sophie," replied Sentinel, "Megatron, the one who hurt you, is evil. He has hurt me, too."

Sophie tried to say something, only to break down in tears.

"This is all my fault," squeaked Sophie, "I should've listened to my sister."

Bailey turned to Sentinel.

"Don't you think we should report this?" asked Bailey.

"The police will never catch him," answered Sentinel, shaking his head, "I told Lennox to make sure the rest of your family is safe. And if this is anyone's fault, it's mine. He is my son. He exists because of me."

"Then how are we supposed to get her treated?" insisted Epps.

"How about Ratchet?" suggested Sentinel.

"That could work," agreed Akane.

* * *

Meanwhile, Megatron managed to get back to his feet and charged at Optimus, forcing the Autobot leader to fight back. Arcee and Jazz managed to restrain Brawl as Bumblebee fought against Blitzwing and Starscream.

"Now, Ironhide!" shouted Arcee.

Ironhide fired his cannon at Brawl's head, instantly killing him. Arcee and Jazz let go of the Decepticon's corpse and turned their attention to Shockwave.

"Guys!" called Bumblebee, as he tried to hit Starscream in the face, "I could use some help here!"

"I'll take care of Robo-Cyclops," assured Jazz.

Nodding in agreement, Arcee charged at Starscream and tackled him to the ground, allowing Bumblebee to dodge Blitzwing's shot. Starscream tried to say something, but he ended up spitting everywhere.

"Say it," growled Arcee, "don't spray it!"

Jazz shot at Shockwave's optic, shattering the glass.

"AAGH!" shouted Shockwave, "you will pay for this!"

"Sure," taunted Jazz, "if you can find me."

Shockwave started firing blindly, inadvertently hitting Megatron in the shoulder.

"AAGH, hold your fire, you idiot," commanded Megatron, caressing his shoulder, "you hit me!"

"Heh," snickered Jazz, "and now for the finishing move."

Jazz moved in to finish off Shockwave, but suddenly, a driller emerged out of nowhere and grabbed Jazz, forcing him to struggle to free himself as Megatron made a glance at Optimus.

"I will give you three days to hand over the human," warned Megatron, "if you want me to return your comrade alive. Decepticons, we're leaving!"

"Don't do it, Prime!" begged Jazz.

"You have my word, Jazz," whispered Optimus.

Jazz brought his hand close to where his subspace compartment is located, carrying the rigged tracer Ratchet gave him. Even if he was taken hostage, he figured that maybe this could be his chance to recover the shards from the Decepticons. Megatron, Starscream, Blitzwing and Shockwave left on the driller, taking Jazz with them.

"Now what, Optimus?" asked Arcee.

"You're not really going to send him off to die, are you?" pestered Ironhide.

"He volunteered himself to somehow infiltrate the Nemesis and get back the shards from the Decepticons," explained Optimus, "this must have been his plan for getting on board."

"Wow," commented Bumblebee, "he must be clever. Should we return to base?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Sentinel drove back to the base. He could see Clayton, Nigel, Kylie, Denzel and Melanie speaking with Mearing, Lennox, Smokescreen, Prowl and Mirage. The elder Prime let out Epps, Akane, Bailey and Sophie before transforming into his robot mode. Akane carried Sophie while she followed Sentinel and Bailey into the medical bay. The elder Prime felt rather sick. He still felt the whole thing was his fault.

"I should've just killed him back there," muttered Sentinel.

"Well," asked Akane, "why didn't you?"

"Try and kill your own child," barked Sentinel, "and then you'll understand."

Sentinel hid his face from Akane, the coldness of her words and her voice stinging him in the spark.

"I can say that only the rapist deserves the blame," sighed Akane, "no one else."

"Hey, Ratchet," called Bailey, "do you have a moment?"

Ratchet stopped what he was doing and focused his optics on Bailey.

"Yes, Bailey?" asked Ratchet.

"I'm not sure if it's possible for Cybertronians and humans to crossbreed," requested Bailey, "but I don't want to take a risk. Could you make sure Sophie doesn't get pregnant?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about," replied Ratchet, "could you clarify for me?"

"Make sure the poor girl isn't sparked," clarified Sentinel.

"Megatron has raped this poor teenager," added Akane, "after tricking her into meeting him."

"Damn Megatron," muttered Ratchet, "Sentinel let the damn fragger escape."

"I'm not deaf," growled Sentinel, "get off my case, Hatchet."

Sighing, Ratchet kneeled down and carefully plucked Sophie out of Akane's arms. To the Autobot medic's surprise, she tried to squirm out of his grasp as if she was trying to get away.

"It's all right, Sophie," assured Ratchet, "I'm going to help you."

Ratchet carefully laid Bailey's younger sister on the table and carefully scanned her, despite the fact that she appeared frightened. The Autobot medic searched his drawers and found the injection; although he wondered if it could be safely applied to humans. Sentinel watched, but he didn't approach, as he feared Sophie was still scared of him. Bailey handed over her sister's purse to Akane.

"Could you give this to my sister?" requested Bailey.

"You have my word, Bailey-san," nodded Akane.

After cleaning her arm, Ratchet administered the injection, using a smaller container. Sentinel walked off, transforming and driving slowly past Bailey's family, who instantly recognized the truck and the voice when he stopped beside them.

"I'm….so sorry for this happening," murmured Sentinel, "truly, I am. I didn't realize my lost child had fallen that low."

"I know," nodded Kylie, "I could recommend therapy for my daughter, and maybe a rape kit."

Sentinel didn't pay attention to the fact that Bailey sprinted out of the medical bay, apparently following him.

"And I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you that I am Samuel Prior," sighed Sentinel, "that is the alias I use to interact with the outside world."

"If that's your alias," asked Melanie, "then what's your real name?"

"My true name is Sentinel Amhriel," answered Sentinel, "Descendant Prime."

Sentinel slowly transformed into his robot mode as Optimus, Arcee, Bumblebee and Ironhide returned to base.

"Oh, Jesus!" exclaimed Denzel, "you're a robot?!"

"Wow," mused Nigel, "looks like we have an alien among us."

"Bailey's apartment building is under renovation because Megatron body-slammed me into it," nodded Sentinel, "because he is an afthole."

Optimus, Bumblebee, Ironhide and Arcee transformed into their robot modes. The Autobot leader approached Sentinel.

"Then," suggested Kylie, "maybe we could help Bailey move back to her apartment when it's finished?"

"That would be too dangerous," objected Optimus, "as the Decepticons are still after her."

"And unlike us," added Sentinel, "they have absolutely no respect for your laws unless it suits their purpose."

Both Primes proceeded to explain about the AllSpark, leaving Bailey's family wide-eyed with surprise.

"Because of this," concluded Optimus, "your daughter has taken up residence with Sentinel here on base."

"Oh my god," whispered Melanie.

"So," asked Nigel, "do you guys want us to keep it a secret?"

"Please," begged Sentinel, "and…"

Sentinel kneeled and leaned down to the relatives, joints creaking, wincing from his bad leg.

"…be wary of that Akane," continued Sentinel, "Bailey and I don't totally trust her. She's kidnapped Bailey once and tried to kill me."

"Oh," commented Denzel, "we'll keep an eye out on her, all right."

"Then again," sighed Kylie, "I'm worried that some of the people might end up blaming Sophie for the terrible thing that happened to her."

"If she's to blame," remarked Sentinel, "then I'm a hobbit."

Bailey stood nervously behind Sentinel.

"But of course," assured Kylie, "I know it's not her fault. But most of the rape victims I worked with often get blamed by others, and they sometimes blame themselves. It's just sad."

"Yeah," nodded Nigel, "I just don't get what is with these people playing this blame game."

"Then," asked Bailey, "what could I do for Sophie?"

Optimus noticed Bailey's presence and knelt down to her level.

"Try comforting her," advised Optimus, "if you can."

"I'm sorry, Optimus," murmured Sentinel, "I should've ended him today, but instead I ran, like a fraggin' coward."

"We may have lost our chance at finishing off Megatron," replied Optimus, "but at least we got the humans to safety."

"Hey, you," called Denzel, "uh, flame job! Where should we take Sophie?"

"It's my fault we lost that chance," groveled Sentinel, "it's all my fault."

After standing to his feet, Sentinel began limping past Optimus and the humans with his head hung and optics downcast. He didn't notice that Bailey began following him.

"She might need to rest at the base for a day," answered Optimus, "and see if she can recover. And for future reference, I am Optimus Prime."

"Ok," requested Melanie, "then could you take us to the hotel so we can get some of her things?"

"Certainly," nodded Optimus.

"Bails," called Nigel, "you coming?"

"Sorry, dad," answered Bailey, "but I think I'll pass."

Optimus transformed into his alternate mode, allowing Nigel, Kylie, Denzel and Melanie to hop into the Peterbilt semi truck, taking Alvin with him. Once Optimus drove out of the base, Sentinel headed inside his living quarters, only to notice that Bailey was following him.

"Sentinel," asked Bailey, "can I talk to you?"

"One second," paused Sentinel.

Sentinel closed the door behind them.

"Yes?" continued Sentinel.

"It's just that," stammered Bailey, "I…I wanted to protect my sister from Megatron, but I couldn't. Right now, I feel the same anger as you do. In fact, I personally wish I had a Mega-Upgrade so I could rip out his optics. I know he's your kid, but still."

"I've said the same thing," agreed Sentinel, "but whenever I have the chance, I just can't bring myself to do it."

"Can I hug you then?" requested Bailey.

"Yes," nodded Sentinel, "but that's my foot down there."

Sentinel kneeled down and picked up Bailey, allowing her to hug his face as she stroked the smooth wires that made up his beard. She could hear the deep purring sound that caused his neck to vibrate.

"You know," mused Sentinel, "you never fully explained this interest you have in me."

"Yeah, well," admitted Bailey, "it's kinda hard to explain. Is it ok if we go check on my sister?"

"Of course," nodded Sentinel.

Sentinel allowed Bailey to ride on his shoulder as he opened the door and exited his living quarters, sauntering towards the medical bay.


	22. Teenage Trauma and Sneaky Jazz

"That actually happened to her?!" exclaimed Clayton, "man, I feel so sorry for her."

"The act is of no surprise," replied Ratchet, "but the fact that the victim was not Cybertronian is very odd for him."

"Has he done this before?" asked Clayton, "I'd hate to become the big Rust Bucket's next victim."

"I'm pretty sure that no one does," affirmed Akane.

"The Decepticons target those that they consider as being weak in the war," explained Ratchet.

"So apparently," agreed Akane, "nasty things can happen in war."

Just then, Sentinel entered the medical bay with Bailey on his shoulder.

"Oh," called Clayton, "hey, Bails. Ratchet told me what happened."

"I returned the purse to its rightful owner," explained Ratchet, "but Sophie hasn't spoken to any of us so far. I never imagined Megatron would target a human like this."

Ratchet stepped aside, allowing Sentinel to lower Bailey onto the table.

"Sophie," asked Bailey, concerned, "are you feeling ok?"

"I'm…so sorry I….didn't listen to you, sis," whimpered Sophie.

"It's ok," assured Bailey, "I was just worried about you."

"Now everyone's going to think I'm a whore," squeaked Sophie, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Not me, though," replied Bailey, "you don't deserve to go through this, ok? I'm sure Megatron will get his ass kicked someday. Do you need a hug or something?"

"Just leave me alone," muttered Sophie.

Sighing, Bailey turned her glance at Sentinel.

"I'll look after her for now," said Ratchet.

Sentinel bent down and lifted Bailey onto his shoulder. The elder Prime stepped outside of the medical bay and meandered into his living quarters. He set down the human woman, allowing her to grab her 3DS as she inserted a game cartridge into the slot after finding its case. She then approached Sentinel, allowing him to scoop her up before he sat down on his berth. Bailey turned on the 3DS and began playing Super Mario 3D Land while she sat beside him.

"Were there any Decepticon leaders before Megatron?" asked Bailey, "I'm rather curious now."

"Yes," nodded Sentinel, "Megatronus Prime was the only one whose name was ever recorded, though he is now known as the Fallen. My son is the first to actually call them Decepticons."

"Really?" warbled Bailey, "I kinda have the feeling that maybe this Fallen guy might've influenced Megatron to join the dark side."

"That is my thought," agreed Sentinel, "the Fallen was gifted in the art of leechcraft. He even convinced Megatron to abandon Optimus."

"Wait," paused Bailey, "abandon?"

"The way I heard it," explained Sentinel, "both of them were neutral, but the Autobots were caring for them. Megatron had taken on the role of big brother and primary caretaker to Optimus. But the Fallen convinced Megatron to leave the Autobots and study under him. Optimus refused to go, so Megatron left him."

"That's gotta hurt," commented Bailey, "I wonder what became of the Fallen these days."

"No one knows," answered Sentinel, "he disappeared after the other original Primes defeated him here on Earth."

"I hope I don't end up running into this guy," replied Bailey.

"Same for me," agreed Sentinel.

Soon, Optimus returned to the base and let out Nigel, Kylie, Denzel, Melanie and Alvin before transforming into his robot mode. The Autobot leader led them to the medical bay, where Kylie and Melanie approached Ratchet while carrying several things in their arms.

"We got these for Sophie," said Kylie.

"Good," assured Ratchet, "I'd like to keep her in here overnight for observation, if that's all right with you."

Ratchet plucked the items from Melanie and Kylie's arms.

"All right," nodded Nigel, "just make sure she gets something to eat."

"You have my word," nodded Ratchet.

Nigel, Kylie, Denzel and Melanie left the medical bay, prompting Optimus to approach Ratchet.

"So Jazz is aboard the Nemesis?" asked Ratchet.

"Did you tell Sentinel about the plan?" questioned Optimus.

"Yes," answered Ratchet, "he understands the nature of the plan. I hope that rigged tracer helps Jazz in this mission."

"I guess I don't need to trick Megatron into handing them over, then," mused Akane.

"Not at the moment," replied Ratchet.

"If you'll excuse me," announced Optimus, "I'd better inform Sentinel."

* * *

Meanwhile, Jazz sat in the brig with his wrists and ankles bound. Since he was left alone, he seized this opportunity as he began to pick the lock of his cuffs.

"Heh," whispered Jazz, "these are too easy."

Jazz quickly got out of the cuffs and began planning to escape from his brig. He knew that the panel to opening the door was outside, so how was he going to open it from the inside? Just then, a Vehicon opened the door, prompting Jazz to hide. Once the unfortunate Vehicon was close, he knocked it unconscious and disabled its com-link before sneaking out of the brig. Now that he escaped, he began sneaking through the corridors while avoiding detection.

Once Jazz reached the data core, he could see a few Vehicons working on the terminals. He thought fast, using a hologram to distract them and draw them away. Once the coast was clear, the Autobot snuck into the data core and accessed one of the terminals, hoping to determine the location of the shards. He quickly found the location and began heading that way, picking up some weapons and ammo from the Vehicons he managed to knock unconscious along the way. Soon, he arrived at the door to the storage room, where the shards are supposedly kept. He hid until a Vehicon showed up. Once the Vehicon entered the code, Jazz shot the Decepticon and headed inside.

In the storage room, the Autobot found the shards floating in a huge cylindrical container. After opening up the container and swiping the shards, Jazz stored them in his subspace compartment. He then smiled when he found an old forgotten airlock on the side of the storage bay. He activated his signal before opening the airlock, getting ready to jump out of the ship.

* * *

Back at the base that evening, Sentinel and Optimus finished setting up the Pillars. Just then, Optimus received the signal, prompting him transfer the coordinates to the Control Pillar. He then pressed on it, activating the space bridge. After a moment of silence, Jazz emerged from the portal and made a steady landing. Upon cue, Optimus deactivated the space bridge.

"Heh," snickered Jazz, "the big Rust Bucket is going to be so disappointed when he learns that he has to start all over again!"

"Great work, Jazz," praised Sentinel.

Sentinel focused his optics on Bailey.

"Bailey," persuaded Sentinel, "Jazz has a present for you."

"Yeah," nodded Bailey, "I think I already know what it is."

Jazz pulled the shards out of his subspace compartment, allowing Bailey to absorb them with her bracer.

"So," asked Jazz, "how's your sister doing?"

"She's probably still upset about that incident with Megatron," answered Bailey.

"And to make matters worse," added Sentinel, "she's stuck on a base full of more giant alien robots and Hatchet."

"Poor kid," sighed Jazz.

"Yeah," agreed Bailey.

"Should I try and comfort her for a bit?" asked Optimus.

"When I tried to comfort my sister," answered Bailey, "she told me to leave her alone. You are welcome to try, though."

"Why don't you two help me put away those Pillars first?" suggested Sentinel.

"You got it," nodded Jazz.

Sentinel, Optimus and Jazz put away the Pillars as Bailey returned to the elder Prime's living quarters, where she began preparing to record a Let's Play video or two of Assassin's Creed 3. Once the Pillars were put away in the vault, Sentinel dismissed Jazz while he and Optimus headed towards the medical bay. Once inside, they could see that Sophie was sitting while hugging her knees.

"Ratchet," asked Optimus, "how is she?"

"She won't eat," answered Ratchet, "I'm worried about that."

"Is there anything I can do?" replied Sentinel.

Sophie could hear and recognize Sentinel's voice. But she only buried her face into her knees.

"I don't know, Sentinel," sighed Ratchet.

Sentinel focused his optics on Optimus and gave him a nod. Upon cue, the Autobot leader stepped towards the table, optics locked onto the blond teenager.

"Sophie," Optimus said softly, "may I speak with you please?"

Sophie turned her glance at Optimus, but she slowly inched to the far side of the examination table, trying to get away from him.

"Sophie," assured Optimus, "no one here is ever going to hurt you. Only the Decepticons do that; we do not."

"Do you even expect me to trust you?" objected Sophie.

"I would like you to," replied Optimus, "your sister knows us very well, as does her friend Clayton."

"You say that," sputtered Sophie, "but in the end, I really deserved it. I guess no one will ever love me."

"That is not true," assured Optimus, "I had the same thing happen to me when I was young. I felt the same as you. Obviously, if you look around here, you can tell I was wrong."

"You really think I will find someone I can marry?" asked Sophie.

"Yes I do," nodded Optimus, "because I know that someone who really loves you will easily see past that."

After staring into the Autobot leader's optics for a moment, Sophie reached out and snatched her plate before she began eating.

"Thank you, Optimus," smiled Ratchet, "I hope she heals from this in due time."

"You're welcome, Ratchet," replied Optimus.

Optimus turned to leave, but he suddenly felt Sentinel gently grasp his shoulder, prompting him to focus his optics on the elder Prime.

"I need a word with you," requested Sentinel, "about what you said to her."

Optimus felt a chill sent down his spine.

"All right," sighed Optimus.

Sentinel led Optimus out of the medical bay and found a suitable place behind the Autobot leader's living quarters where no one is around. It seemed apparent that the other Autobots were beginning to turn in for the night.

"That was good of you to share your story like that," praised Sentinel, "knowing it could help someone. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Should I tell you more about my attack?" asked Optimus.

"I would like to hear about it," assured Sentinel, "it's ok."

Optimus let out a painful sigh.

"It was dark," explained Optimus, "a gang jumped me. From there all I remember is pain and thinking I was going to die until Megatron came and saved me."

Optimus tried to hold back his tears, now that he is starting to experience a flashback of that night.

"Primus," gasped Sentinel, "my poor child."

Sentinel gently wrapped his arms around Optimus.

"Go ahead and let it out," whispered Sentinel.

Upon cue, Optimus couldn't hold it in any longer. He silently wept as he buried his face into Sentinel's shoulder, tears falling off his face and down the elder Prime's armor. Sentinel held his child close, gently stroking his back and head as the elder Prime laid his head on Optimus's shoulder. The younger Prime returned the embrace, realizing that he felt comforted this way.

"It's ok, Optimus," assured Sentinel, "you are safe now."

"Sentinel," whispered Optimus.

"Yes, Optimus?" replied Sentinel.

Optimus wiped away his tears and focused his optics on Sentinel.

"Thank you, Sentinel," smiled Optimus, "I feel a little better now."

"Good," nodded Sentinel, "I love you, _ma t'sonyu_."

Sentinel kissed his child's head as he gently stroked his back.

"Get some rest, Optimus," advised Sentinel, "you look like you need it."

Optimus nodded in agreement as Sentinel released him from his embrace. Once the Autobot leader began sauntering towards his living quarters, the elder Prime trudged around the base and headed into his living quarters, where Bailey was just finishing up with recording her Let's Play video.

"…Thank you for watching, my fellow viewers," smiled Bailey, "this is Tiger Fang signing off."

Just then, Bailey stopped the recording and saved her data before she began turning off her PS3 and her computer. Sentinel didn't say anything as he entered the room and prepared to turn in for the night. After Bailey put away her game, she changed into her pajamas while avoiding the elder Prime's gaze. Once she was in her pajamas, she stepped towards his berth.

"So," asked Bailey, "is Sophie doing ok?"

"Yes," nodded Sentinel, "Optimus spoke to her."

As Sentinel lay down on his berth, one of his drapes hung over to the side, allowing Bailey to climb up the drape and nestle into the elder Prime's shoulder. He activated a control that opened the ceiling again, staring into the stars.

"Oh, that's right," said Bailey, looking at the screen of her smart phone, "I heard that it's going to rain tomorrow."

Sentinel didn't pay attention, but Bailey could hear him singing softly in his language, occasionally sighing. Bailey put away her smart phone and began playing Super Mario 3D Land on her 3DS, making sure the volume is kept low enough so she doesn't bother him, since she didn't bring headphones with her. The elder Prime turned over to his side and fell asleep.


	23. A Window to the Past

_Bailey found herself wandering through the Moonflow. Strange, has she ended up in the land of Spira from Final Fantasy X? She figured that she could simply fight the fiends, even if she was wielding a battleaxe, which was not one of the weapons of the game, but who cares? Once she reached the south bank, instead of finding Yuna, Tidus, Auron, Kimahri, Wakka and Lulu, she found Sophie lying on the ground. How did she get here?_

" _Sophie?" whispered Bailey._

_Bailey approached Sophie and knelt down before gently rocking her, hoping that would wake her up. Much to her dismay, she wasn't breathing. Did Sin kill her? Bailey shook her head in disbelief. But before she could jump to that conclusion, she noticed the same blood stain on her skirt. Maybe it wasn't Sin, maybe it was…_

" _You're too late," sneered Megatron._

_Startled, Bailey quickly stood to her feet and snapped her head at the Decepticon leader._

" _How could you do this to her!?" demanded Bailey, angry._

" _DO NOT QUESTION YOUR MASTER, INSECT!" roared Megatron._

" _Yeah, right," barked Bailey, "there is no way I'm going to work for freaks like you!"_

" _I'm afraid you don't have a choice," objected Megatron._

_What at first looked like part of the landscape was actually hordes of Vehicons._

" _Because it's all of us against only you," continued Megatron._

_Bailey's eyes widened in horror. The young woman tried to back away from Megatron, but he only kept stepping closer to her. She brought her bracer close to her sight, hoping that she could mega-upgrade herself so she can fight back. Much to her dismay, the round gem was gone. Suddenly, there were flickering lights on the ground before her, as if something behind her was on fire. She didn't need to look to recognize the all too familiar voice of the pissed off mech behind her as he ratted off swear words. There was only one mech she knew who always swore without shame._

" _No," thundered Sentinel, "it's your aft against_ _ **me**_ _, you Primus-damn fraggin' Pitspawned slagger!"_

" _Sentinel," gasped Bailey._

_The huge red mech leapt at Megatron, his Primax blade flashing with every blow he landed, sending the Decepticon leader backward. Bailey looked around, hoping she would find a place to hide, but sadly, she couldn't locate a hiding spot. Fortunately, Bailey didn't need to worry as Sentinel easily dispatched the Decepticon leader as he focused his optics on the human._

" _Bailey?" paused Sentinel, "how did you get in my dream? This place should look like Cybertron, not….this."_

" _What?" warbled Bailey, "I don't remember having the ability to enter other people's dreams."_

" _Maybe it's the AllSpark," assumed Sentinel, "maybe it's reacting to my Matrix."_

_Bailey glanced around the area and finally noticed a metallic landscape._

" _Sentinel," asked Baiely, "is this Cybertron?"_

" _Yes," nodded Sentinel._

_Bailey noticed a city in the distance, which seemed to be burning to the ground, but she also noticed three Cybertronians; two of them happened to be younger versions of Sentinel and Ratchet. The other Cybertronian resembled a red and gold femme Seeker._

" _Hey," paused Bailey, "is that—"_

" _Yes," answered Sentinel, tears welling up in his optics, "that's her."_

_Bailey cautiously approached the trio, noticing the younger version of Sentinel cradling Alnai in his arms while trying to hold back tears._

" _S-Sentinel," gasped Alnai, "where is…..Megatron?"_

_Bailey noticed a very young Megatron perching on Sentinel's shoulder._

" _Right here, ma," answered Megatron, "I right here."_

_A tiny hand reached for his mother. Alnai reached out and gently grasped the sparkling's hand._

" _I cannot make it….ngh, Sentinel," requested Alnai in a hoarse voice, "my love, please…..save the little one. Save little Optimus. I know….what I'm asking is…..improper…and illegal, but—"_

" _I don't care," interrupted Sentinel, "I'll do it for you, my darling. If they charge me, then let me be found guilty of saving our child."_

_Sentinel softly kissed Alnai, his hand gently stroking her wing._

" _I promise, my angel," continued Sentinel, sniffing, "I'll do it. If I could take your place, then I would do it in a sparkbeat."_

" _Let us stop," replied Alnai, "I….wish to hold my child…once more."_

_Sentinel gently laid Alnai down, propped up against the remains of a building as Megatron crawled into her arms, his little face already soaked._

" _What's wrong, mama?" squeaked Megatron._

_Alnai gently stroked Megatron's little head. The little mech huddled against her._

" _I'm scared, mama," sobbed Megatron._

" _I know," Alnai replied softly._

" _Sentinel," warned Ratchet, "if we are going to do this procedure, we have to do it, now."_

_Nodding in agreement, Alnai handed over Megatron to Sentinel. The red Prime set down his sparkling on the other side of the wall._

" _Stay right here," instructed Sentinel, "I'll be back soon."_

" _Ok," nodded Megatron._

_Sentinel approached Ratchet and Alnai, sitting down next to his mate._

" _Ratchet," said Sentinel, "I'm ready."_

_Sentinel held Alnai's hand while Ratchet pulled out his tools._

" _Should I use anesthetics?" asked Ratchet._

" _I—" paused Sentinel._

" _No," answered Alnai, "I want to be here, with my love, for as long as I can."_

" _Very well," sighed Ratchet._

_Ratchet made the first incisions in Sentinel, causing the red Prime to wince in pain._

" _You're fortunate," continued Ratchet, "Primes have dormant programs for this. That'll make the reformatting easier and faster."_

" _Then stop talking and do it," groaned Sentinel._

_Ratchet continued to make the necessary incisions in Sentinel. Once he was finished, the Autobot medic turned to Alnai._

" _Do it," begged Alnai, "just don't hurt the poor thing."_

 _After making the necessary incisions in Alnai, Ratchet began the process of removing Optimus from Alnai and placing him within Sentinel. Bailey cringed at the sight of the surgery as Ratchet began closing up the incisions._ _It was hard to believe that the tiny metallic lump that Ratchet had moved would later become the powerful Autobot leader she knew. When it was over, Sentinel called Megatron back, so Alnai would have those she loved most with her. The baby snuggled into his mother's arms, hugging her tight._

" _Wuv you, ma," whimpered Megatron._

" _I…love you too, Megatron," whispered Alnai._

_And those were her final words, for she had told Sentinel the same thing through their bond. He screamed in pain when he felt her go. It felt like he was being torn apart. Megatron started to cry again as she went cold under him. Ratchet could barely stand seeing both father and son in such agony. He stood back out of respect to let them grieve together._

" _So that's what happened?" whispered Bailey, pity in her eyes._

_Bailey slowly approached the grieving Prime, trying to reach out to touch his hand. However, before she got close…_

* * *

Bailey slowly opened her eyes, waking up from her dream. She turned her glance at Sentinel, who was also starting to wake up.

"Oh," sighed Sentinel, "my little Megatron. What happened to you?"

"Uh," paused Bailey, "Sentinel?"

Sentinel focused his optics on Bailey.

"Oh," replied Sentinel, "sorry you had to see that."

"Don't be," assured Bailey, "hey, don't you think we should close this roof before it starts raining?"

"Really?" objected Sentinel, "you're sitting by a member of a highly advanced alien race and you're worried about that? I put a layer of Cybertronian glass under the sliding roof. No rain will get through that."

"Oh, ok," chirped Bailey, relieved, "maybe after breakfast, we could go check on Sophie?"

"Breakfast?" reminded Sentinel, "Bailey, it's 2 am."

Bailey checked her smart phone after pulling it out of her pocket and examined the time.

"Crap," muttered Bailey, "I thought I slept through the whole night!"

Sentinel couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sentinel, why?" moaned Bailey.

"Why what?" asked Sentinel, "why did this happen?"

Sentinel let out a sigh.

"I believe, for some reason unknown to mortals," continued Sentinel, "that the Matrix, and through it, Primus, wanted you to see that memory of mine, though I can't guess why."

"Wait," paused Bailey, "Matrix? Primus?"

"Even if you're no longer the Ascendant Prime," explained Sentinel, "your personal Matrix is still a vessel of Primus's power. As for Primus, he is like what you humans call 'God'."

"So," clarified Bailey, "this Matrix thing is what makes you and Optimus as Primes?"

"Yes," nodded Sentinel, "Primus uses the Matrix of Leadership to choose the Primes. It chooses you by allowing you to find it or by showing itself to you. When it is time to choose a new Prime, the Matrix disappears, leaving a personalized copy of itself within you. Optimus now bears the original."

"I see," breathed Bailey, "well, good night."

Bailey put away her smart phone and nestled into Sentinel's shoulder, drifting back to sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, aboard the Nemesis, Starscream woke up to the sound of loud moaning that echoed through the ship. Geez, it's not even morning yet. After getting out of his berth, the Decepticon Seeker trudged out of his room and down the hallway, trying to locate the source of the noise. The sounds led him straight to the door to Megatron's room. Starscream wasted no time as he knocked on it.

"GO AWAY!" roared Megatron.

"What do you mean go away?" objected Starscream, "are you self servicing? Your noises are keeping me up."

"None of your business," thundered Megatron, "you pervert!"

"I wasn't hitting on you," protested Starscream, "besides, didn't you let me and the others watch you humiliate that little human?"

Starscream could hear a loud sigh, followed by the clanging of feet landing on the floor before the sound of footsteps, as it seemed apparent that Megatron was about to answer the door. Sure enough, the Decepticon leader opened it, optics glaring at Starscream.

"Give me one reason to not rip out your optics," demanded Megatron.

"Were you dreaming of the little insect?" asked Starscream.

"You mean Bailey's little sister?" clarified Megatron.

Starscream nodded.

"Uh…yes," admitted Megatron.

"You know," advised Starscream, "you could always keep this Sophie all to yourself, once we remove the AllSpark from Bailey."

"Yes, I could," hissed Megatron, "or I could let you lead the Decepticons. Both options have the same outcome; distraction and failure."

"Why?" pondered Starscream, "because of the Autobots?"

"Do not question my reasoning," snapped Megatron, "besides, if I wanted to do that, we would have left the minute I had her."

"Oh," sighed Starscream, "well then, I probably should leave you at peace."

"Yes," nodded Megatron, "you should."

Starscream sauntered through the corridor back to his room while Megatron closed the door and went back to his berth.

* * *

The following morning, after Bailey had her breakfast and got dressed, she met up with Sentinel at the medical bay.

"Hey, Ratchet," called Bailey, "how's my sister doing?"

"Much better," answered Ratchet, "whatever Optimus did, it worked wonders."

Bailey focused her eyes on Sophie, who was currently eating her breakfast.

"Hey, Sentinel," requested Bailey, "could you help me up?"

Sentinel nodded and scooped up Bailey before placing her on the table.

"Morning, Sophie," said Sentinel.

Sophie turned her glance at Bailey and Sentinel.

"Uh," stammered Sophie, "morning, sis….and….who is this guy?"

"Sentinel," answered Bailey.

"I don't feel like going anywhere today," sighed Sophie.

"Are you still afraid of Megatron?" asked Bailey.

Sophie nodded.

"He'll have to go through me if he thinks of laying a finger on any of you," assured Sentinel, "and that's a promise. Bailey can tell you what happens when someone pisses me off."

"Um, ok," peeped Sophie, "hey, sis, can I watch movies from Netflix on one of your gaming systems?"

"You can use my PS3," answered Bailey, "just be sure to charge the controller when you're done."

Sophie gave a small smile.

"Thanks, sis!"

Bailey focused her eyes on Sentinel and nodded. Upon cue, the elder Prime scooped her up and walked out of the medical bay before returning to his living quarters, where he allowed the young woman to put on her raincoat and her boots before she snatched her bag. Once they stepped outside, they came across Epps.

"Hey," called Epps, "where are you off to?"

"Bailey," reminded Sentinel, "your sister doesn't know where your PS3 thing is."

"I already set it up this morning," assured Bailey, "besides, she's used it before to watch her favorite movies."

"Oh," said Sentinel.

Bailey turned to Epps.

"Sentinel and I are going to pick up my family so we can go furniture shopping," explained Bailey.

"But she doesn't know where my quarters are," objected Sentinel.

"You are?" paused Epps, "furniture shopping?"

"We are?" warbled Sentinel, "ugh, my feet already hurt."

"Crap," muttered Bailey, "maybe we could show Sophie where to find it?"

"I'll do it," replied Sentinel, "you go call your folks."

Sentinel sauntered towards the medical bay.

"You're taking _**him**_ furniture shopping?" pried Epps.

Just then, Lennox came up behind Epps.

"Guess she's never been furniture shopping with an old guy," mused Lennox, "if you lose him in the store, Bailey, check the bed and mattress sections first, then the sofas and recliners."

"That's why we were going to pick up our family, first," answered Bailey, "that is, after Sentinel shows Sophie where to find his quarters. Besides, I only need a computer desk and a bed with a mattress, so that way I can sleep on my own without having to rely on my sleeping bag."

"Oh," chirped Epps, "a family outing! Old people always make those more interesting."

* * *

Meanwhile, just as she finished breakfast, Sophie heard huge footsteps coming back in. She even recognized the old gait of the robot with an occasional limp in one leg.

"Yes, Sentinel?" peeped Sophie.

"Bailey asked me to show you where her PS-whatever-she-calls-it thing was," explained Sentinel.

"You mean the Playstation 3?" clarified Sophie.

"Yeah, that," nodded Sentinel, "it's in my quarters, where she's been staying."

Sentinel extended his hand.

"Come on," continued Sentinel, "I'll take you there."

Upon cue, Sophie climbed onto Sentinel's hand. The elder Prime set her on his shoulder.

"Sorry if the ride's a little rough," apologized Sentinel, "I have a bad leg."

Sentinel ambled out of the medical bay with Sophie on his shoulder, frequently limping on his leg, until he reached his living quarters, where he set her down.

"It's right here," said Sentinel, pointing at the PS3 with his finger.

"Thank you, Sentinel," chirped Sophie, "I think I can handle it from here."

As Sophie began operating the PS3, Sentinel headed outside, where Bailey was talking to Lennox and Epps.

"All right," announced Sentinel, "let's get this over with."


	24. The Savanna Shard Hunt

Meanwhile, Akane stood outside the hotel while holding up an umbrella since it was raining. It wasn't long before she watched a silver car approach the hotel. It had the symbol of Cosmosis on the door. The driver opened the door as a couple of crewmen brought out dozens of shards.

"Ozaki-sama," reported a crewman, "these are the shards we found in the theme parks across the United States."

"Excellent work," praised Akane, "let me take care of them."

Akane held out her left wrist and used her bracer to absorb the AllSpark shards.

"All right," announced Akane, "we are heading over to the base. I think it's time we help our Autobot friends search the place for more shards."

"Right away," nodded the driver, giving a Japanese bow, "Ozaki-sama."

Akane and the crewmen hopped into the car, prompting the driver to drive down the road until they reached the base. There, they could see Mearing, Optimus, Simmons and Keller were conversing with each other inside the hangar, thanks to the rain. Just then, Simmons noticed the car.

"Guys, shut up," whispered Simmons, "crazy lady's here with her goon squad."

Keller noticed Akane as she stepped out of the car.

"You mean the leader of this Japanese secret society?" clarified Keller.

"Yeah," nodded Simmons, "the wackos that kidnapped that Bailey girl and nearly gave most of the AllSpark to the Decepticons."

"I think you are mistaken, old man," corrected Akane, "we were about to capture both Autobots and Decepticons alive for study, and we would have succeeded if Bailey didn't get in the way and that idiot crewmember didn't overdo the electric prod."

"Study?" paused Simmons.

"Dissection, experimentation," assumed Keller, "interrogation."

"If I recall, Simmons," reminded Mearing, "you wanted to do the same."

"Oh, really?" remarked Simmons, "you never forgot about that, did you, Mearing?"

"You know," mused Akane, "I could have simply dissected the Decepticons while I interviewed the Autobots at that time."

"I could not have permitted that," protested Optimus, "the ancient laws of our people, which are followed by both factions, deem such an act extremely cruel and wrong, no matter who it is done to."

"Never mind then," replied Akane, "come to think of it, where is that red old mech?"

"He's got a name," countered Simmons, "it's Sentinel, and he's taking Bailey and her family furniture shopping."

"Oh," said Akane, "I see."

"Let's get back to the shards, please?" requested Keller.

"All right," nodded Mearing, "since the Autobots arrived, we have collected hundreds of shards."

"607 shards to be exact," added Akane, "if you add 457 from Bailey and 150 from me."

"Ahem," interrupted Mearing, " _ **I'm**_ the Intelligence director here. If I need the number announced, I will ask for it. I am the head authority here, not you."

"Of course," continued Akane, "I have a feeling there are still more out there."

"That is correct," agreed Optimus.

"I discussed this with Congress and the FBI," explained Keller, "and they pointed out that since the AllSpark landed ten years ago, many civilians, corporations and government officials across the globe have collected shards; including the CIA and Sector Seven."

"How do all these people know about the AllSpark?" asked Mearing, confused.

"They don't actually know that it's called the AllSpark, to be honest," mentioned Keller.

"But Megatron does," reasoned Optimus, "the Decepticons may target these civilians for the shards."

"Are you suggesting that we should just convince the civilians to simply hand them over?" questioned Simmons.

"Do you have a better idea?" asked Mearing.

"Not exactly," answered Simmons.

"I didn't think so," sighed Mearing.

"I'm pretty sure that some people might not be willing to give up the shards so easily," reasoned Akane, "not even to us."

"That's what warrants and subpoenas are for," replied Mearing.

Akane focused her eyes on Optimus.

"So," asked Akane, "do you have any ideas?"

Just then, Ratchet stepped outside.

"Maybe we could try telling them that handing in the shards will benefit their planet," suggested Optimus.

"Optimus," objected Ratchet, "they drive diesels. I doubt they care."

"What I meant was that they could ensure that this planet does not end up like Cybertron," clarified Optimus, "but I understand that referring Cybertron is not the best idea."

"We weren't going to mention you aliens at all," replied Mearing, "simply flash a badge and a warrant, say it's an issue of national security, and you're done."

"Sounds like a good plan," agreed Simmons.

"Then it's settled," concluded Mearing, "that's what we do."

Ratchet leaned closer to the Autobot leader's audial.

"I wonder how Sentinel is doing right now," whispered Ratchet.

"I'm sure he's ok," assured Optimus, "considering how close he is with Bailey."

"Poor mech," grumbled Ratchet.

Just then, Wheeljack left his living quarters and sprinted towards the hangar.

"Hey," called Wheeljack, "I just picked up Decepticon signals somewhere in Africa!"

"I'll get the Pillars," replied Optimus.

"And I'll go inform the other Autobots," added Ratchet.

Optimus headed towards the vault as Ratchet stepped outside. Once the Autobot leader withdrew the Pillars from the vault, he began to set them up as Ironhide, Prowl, Mirage, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Chromia approached the runway.

"Prowl," advised Optimus, "let me know if Sentinel gets attacked by Decepticons."

"I will, sir," nodded Prowl.

Optimus transferred the coordinates into the Control Pillar.

"Ironhide," said Optimus, "Mirage, Sidewipe, Sunstreaker, Chromia, you're with me."

"Let's go kick some Decepti-can!" declared Chromia.

Optimus pressed on the top of the Control Pillar, activating the space bridge. Upon cue, the Autobot leader led Ironhide, Chromia, Mirage, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker through the portal, taking them to a vast savanna. There, they could see plenty of Vehicons, Blackout, Blitzwing, Thundercracker, Skywarp and Lugnut searching the savanna while collecting shards.

"Autobots," commanded Optimus, "after them! Ironhide, you know what to do."

The Autobots charged at the Decepticons, catching their attention. Ironhide and Chromia began taking out the Vehicons while Sideswipe and Sunstreaker began fighting Thundercracker, Skywarp and Blitzwing. While Mirage attacked Blackout, Optimus charged at Lugnut.

"Primus," groaned Chromia, mowing down Vehicons, "do they make these things stupid on purpose?"

Ironhide fired at a Vehicon.

"Vehicons are supposed to be completely Con," replied Ironhide, "not an ounce of good in them."

Chromia took out a Vehicon that was just standing there.

"Apparently," agreed Chromia, "not an ounce of brains in them, either."

Sideswipe jumped on top of Thundercracker while Sunstreaker jumped on top of Skywarp.

"Hey!" barked Thundercracker, "get off of me!"

"Yo, Sunny!" called Sideswipe, "you up for a round of chicken with these things?"

"Count me in!" nodded Sunstreaker.

By dancing on top of Thundercracker and Skywarp, the twins repeatedly forced the disoriented Seekers to crash into each other, as well as the occasional unfortunate Vehicon.

"Hey!" shouted Blitzwing, "snap out of it, you dumbafts!"

Just then, Mirage managed to stun Blackout before charging at Blitzwing, catching his attention.

"Scrap!" exclaimed Blitzwing.

Blitzwing began running for his life.

"Not so fast, Decepti-slag!" barked Mirage.

Blitzwing stumbled and fell as Mirage shot him in the back. The Decepticon struggled to get back up, but Mirage pressed his foot on Blitzwing's back, pinning him down.

"All right," commanded Mirage, "fork over the shards, then maybe I'll let you go!"

"Vat makes ya think I got 'em?" spat Blitzwing.

"He's got a point," agreed Ironhide, "maybe the twins' space Doritos there have them."

"Search them all," commanded Optimus.

Upon cue, Optimus, Ironhide, Chromia, Mirage, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker began searching Blitzwing, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Blackout and Lugnut after taking out the last of the Vehicons. Not surprisingly, they were all carrying shards, so the Autobots confiscated them.

"Oh, great," grumbled Blackout, "how are we supposed to explain this to Lord Megatron?"

"That's your problem, Con," replied Sideswipe.

The Autobots released the Decepticons from their grasp, and then aimed their cannons at them.

"We'll take care of the shard hunting," remarked Ironhide.

"But don't expect us to give you any!" added Mirage.

"Yeah," teased Sunstreaker, "Deceptifreaks."

Blitzwing, Skywarp, Thundercracker and Blackout slowly backed up before retreating.

"Now we can get back to shard hunting," sighed Ironhide, relieved.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sentinel drove back to base while a truck followed him. He let out Lennox and Epps to negotiate with the truck driver before entering the base. The elder Prime let out Bailey, Nigel, Kylie, Melanie and Denzel before transforming into his robot mode. He groaned in disgust once he noticed Akane standing inside the hangar along with Keller, Simmons, Ratchet and Mearing.

"Oh," commented Bailey, "I guess Optimus took the Autobots shard hunting."

"Great," grumbled Sentinel, "now we're stuck with Queen Crazy."

Upon hearing Sentinel's angry comment, Akane focused her eyes on the elder Prime.

"I see that you still don't trust me," commented Akane.

"Not as far as I could throw you," remarked Sentinel.

Akane couldn't help but give a chuckle.

"You know," mused Akane, "your threats of violence only serve to amuse me."

"It's an expression," replied Sentinel, "it means I don't trust you at all. I don't even come close. It's hard to even want to trust someone who coldly tried to kill you without so much as even a second thought."

"If you were referring to the electric prod," explained Akane, "those contraptions were designed to temporarily immobilize any sentient mechanical being."

"Immobilize my ass," smirked Simmons, "I checked the voltage on that thing combined with the amount of times it was used, and had it been used a little more, he certainly would have died. We know these guys better than you do, we live with them."

"And this is what happens when some of my idiot crewmembers neglect to follow protocols," sighed Akane while facepalming.

"You mean you wanted to stop them from hurting Sentinel?" clarified Bailey.

"I was going to stop that crewmember from killing him," nodded Akane, "but you beat me to it. I guess I am a little jealous of you for that."

"Yet you were still going to allow them to injure him," objected Ratchet, "to cause him unnecessary pain. Humans call that torture, I believe."

"Get this through your fraggin' thick skull," growled Sentinel, "we aren't machines. We are people and we expect to be treated as such, with respect."

There was a long moment of silence.

"I guess we are done here," Akane finally said, "good day."

Without warning, Akane stepped out of the hangar and into the rain as she marched towards the silver car and hopped inside. It wasn't long before the car drove out of the base. Just then, Lennox and Epps approached Sentinel.

"Hey," called Lennox, "do you know any Autobots willing to help move the furniture into Sentinel's quarters?"

"Are you sure we can't help out?" asked Nigel.

"It's my place," answered Sentinel, "I'll do it."

Sentinel trudged over to the entrance of the base and began moving the box containing the desk into his living quarters. Just then, the space bridge opened up and Optimus, Ironhide, Chromia, Mirage, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker emerged from the portal. After the Autobot leader turned off the space bridge, the Autobots pulled the shards out of their subspace compartments and laid them on the ground. Upon cue, Bailey used her bracer to absorb the shards.

"Oh, cool," chirped Nigel, "it just like how Senketsu absorbs Life Fibers!"

"Yeah," agreed Bailey, "I already made the reference, but I ended up confusing the Autobots."

Optimus looked around as Sentinel emerged from his living quarters.

"Has Miss Ozaki left already?" asked Optimus.

"Yes," answered Sentinel, "and good riddance."

Optimus glanced at the furniture sitting at the gate to the base, prompting him to approach the gate and pick up the mattress, still encased in the plastic wrap to keep the rain out just as Sentinel picked up the box containing the dresser.

"I see your search went well," mentioned Sentinel.

Sentinel and Optimus began moving the furniture in their hands into the elder Prime's living quarters, where Sophie was watching Mean Girls.

"The Decepticons were collecting the shards at the hotspot," explained Optimus, "so we confiscated the shards in their possession before driving them out."

"Good job, kid," praised Sentinel.

"Thank you, Sentinel," smiled Optimus.

Just as Sentinel and Optimus set down the furniture, they noticed Bailey and Nigel entering the living quarters.

"I thought she just had a desk and a bed to get," objected Optimus, "what's everything else?"

"Let me clear it up for you, big guy," explained Nigel, "we got a bedframe, a mattress, a desk and a dresser. I was going to help Bailey assemble the furniture."

"I think Sentinel beat you to it," remarked Optimus.

"Oh, really?" mused Nigel.

Bailey noticed that Sentinel was pulling the desk components out of the box.

"He's an engineer," clarified Optimus.

Bailey approached Sentinel and picked up the instructions before she began reading it. Already, the elder Prime scanned the instructions as he was almost done with assembling the desk.

"Ok then," chuckled Nigel, "I guess I'll help you unpack the rest of the stuff."


	25. A Little Romantic Getaway

Three days have passed since Bailey and Sentinel set up the new furniture for her living space. She remembered going to the beach with Clayton and her family yesterday, and she even heard that Akane has sent some of her crewmembers to search all over North America for the shards while the Autobots began searching Europe.

At the moment, Bailey sprinted into Sentinel's living quarters after returning from her shift. She gathered a towel, her hairbrush, her sandals, her denim shorts and her camisole while Sentinel was reading from his data pad.

"Hey, Sentinel," asked Bailey, "have you decided where you want to go for our first date?"

"I thought I'd let you decide," answered Sentinel, "you know the area much better than I do. Let's…..just go somewhere I don't have to stay in vehicle mode."

Sentinel attempted the sad puppy face begging routine.

"Please?" he continued.

Bailey instantly burst into laughter.

"Oh, Sentinel," chirped Bailey, "you're so cute when you make that face!"

Sentinel gave a smile. This whole thing had him a bit on edge, but he wasn't about to show it.

"So," asked Sentinel, "did you tell your parents about…..you know, your….uhm, interest in me?"

"Not yet," answered Bailey, "but I was going to tell them after my shower, but you can tell them yourself if you'd like."

"I just hope they aren't offended and disgusted like Alnai's entire family was when they first learned of me," sighed Sentinel.

"What do you mean?" asked Bailey, confused.

"They were very wealthy," explained Sentinel, "and I was an untouchable street scrap. They found it highly disgraceful that I even thought about their daughter."

"Was this before you became Prime?" clarified Bailey.

"Yes, why?" nodded Sentinel.

"I wonder if this changed Alnai's family's opinion when you became Prime," pondered Bailey.

"No," replied Sentinel, shaking his head, "it actually made it worse. They blamed _**me**_ for her death."

"Ouch," muttered Bailey, "excuse me, but I'll be back."

Bailey sprinted out of Sentinel's living quarters and into the hangar while carrying her items with her. She found the shower room, prompting her to set down the items and take her clothes off before stepping into one of the stalls, where she began taking a shower, taking care to scrub her hair after applying shampoo and using soap to wash her body. It was only a matter of minutes before she finished. Once she stepped out of the stall, she dried up before putting on her underwear, her camisole, her denim shorts and her sandals. Bailey picked up her towel, her hairbrush and her dirty clothes before leaving the shower room. She left the main building and returned to Sentinel's living quarters, where she set down the items, selected a few CDs and pulled out her boombox.

"Hey, Bails," smiled Nigel.

Startled, Bailey snapped her head at her family, who was apparently waiting since it seemed that Sentinel has gone to get some energon.

"Oh," chirped Bailey, "hey, dad!"

"Sentinel told us about your date," replied Nigel.

"H-He did?" warbled Bailey.

"Yeah," nodded Nigel, "and I have to say you must be one lucky girl."

"You really think so?" warbled Bailey.

"Yes," agreed Kylie, "and I'm now wondering if Cybertronian biology would be compatible with ours."

"Ok," stammered Bailey, blushing.

"Now I am fascinated in the idea of romance between humans and highly advanced alien robots," mused Nigel.

Just then, Sentinel entered his living quarters.

"Slow down," requested Sentinel, "will you? My old frame can't move _**that**_ fast…but yes, it is still compatible."

Kylie gave Bailey a kiss on the cheek.

"I hope you two have a good time together," said Kylie.

"Thanks, mom!" smiled Bailey.

Bailey stowed the CD cases and her 3DS into her bag and picked up her boombox before approaching Sentinel.

"Ok," called Bailey, "I'm ready when you are."

"I'm ready," replied Sentinel, "but I don't know where I'm going."

"I know," suggested Denzel, "how about I give you the location of this nice lake you can go to so you can be in your robot form without anyone disturbing you?"

Denzel pulled out his smart phone and pulled up the map before flashing it before Sentinel.

"Hold on," paused Sentinel.

Sentinel scanned the map on the smart phone.

"Got it," nodded Sentinel, "and it's not too far away. I can be there in no time. Thank you, sir."

"No problem," replied Denzel.

Sentinel stepped outside, transformed into his alternate mode and started to open the passenger door, but then changed his mind and opened the driver's side instead.

"You're of legal age," continued Sentinel, "and it's a special day. If the Decepticons try to ruin it, I'll scrap them with my hands."

"Ok," called Bailey, "I'll see you guys later!"

"Take care, Bailey," replied Kylie.

Bailey hopped into the Rosenbauer Panther and buckled up. Sentinel pulled out and began driving down the road, the map visible to Bailey on the screen of his GPS. After a long drive, they finally reached a lake. Once the fire truck came to a stop, Bailey hopped out while carrying her bag and her boombox while the elder Prime transformed into his robot mode. She gazed upon the shoreline surrounded by huge, gnarly old live oak trees. There was a small sandy beach where the clear water crashed in small waves. It was obvious humans didn't come here. The shoreline faced into where the sunset would be later that day.

"I could almost forget that the rest of the human world exists right now," sighed Sentinel.

Bailey set down her bag and her boombox while Sentinel sat down next to her.

"To be honest," admitted Bailey, "my favorite music artists include Phil Collins, Linkin Park, Pat Benatar, Within Temptation, Vocaloid, JAM Project, Kalafina and Akiko Shikata just to name a few."

"You're a Phil Collins fan, too?" paused Sentinel, "what's your favorite song?"

"I can't really decide on that," chuckled Bailey, "but have you heard of any of the other musicians I mentioned?"

"Besides Phil," replied Sentinel, "I've listened to Linkin' Park, Within Temptation and yes, Vocaloid."

"Cool," chirped Bailey, "I guess I'll just show you some of the songs from the other music artists I mentioned."

Bailey picked out a CD and placed it into the boombox before playing the music. Sentinel and Bailey spent an hour or so listening to a few of the CDs while enjoying the music. Once she finished playing the last CD, the sun was beginning to set.

"I need to do this more often," commented Sentinel, "this was nice."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," smiled Bailey.

After putting away the CD, Bailey climbed up Sentinel's leg, prompting him to scoop her up and place her on his shoulder. She hugged him while stroking the smooth wires that made up his beard. She instantly heard the deep purring sound that caused his neck to vibrate.

"So your parents okayed it," sighed Sentinel, "this thing just might work after all."

Smiling, Bailey leaned closer and gave Sentinel a kiss on the cheek. He smiled as his human-sized holoform appeared and did the same to her.

"Aww," chirped Bailey, "thanks, Sen!"

Bailey wrapped her arms around the holoform and returned the kiss on the cheek. He smiled and hugged back.

"Your mom was talking about our…biology," mentioned Sentinel, "why was she asking such a personal question?"

"Oh, that," explained Bailey, "my mom's a gynecologist and she works for Planned Parenthood. She has studied human sexuality and eventually taught that stuff to me, my brother and my sister. But then, my sister ended up taking an abstinence lesson from her best friend's mom first, as far as I heard."

"Ah," commented Sentinel, "that's a little invasive to ask about me, though."

"Sorry, Sentinel," blurted Bailey.

"You don't need to be sorry," assured Sentinel, "you didn't do anything."

"Oh, ok," smiled Bailey.

Sentinel's holoform disappeared, prompting Bailey to hug the elder Prime's face. He responded by placing his hand over her.

"On Cybertron," said Sentinel, "we don't care about that, as long as the two love each other. I've known couples who both died as old virgins."

Bailey didn't say anything, but she continued resting on Sentinel's face. After a while, Bailey released her embrace and was about to climb down.

"Here," murmured Sentinel, plucking Bailey off his shoulder and setting her down.

"Thanks," chirped Bailey, "maybe we can go to a Chinese restaurant to get our dinner?"

"You mean your dinner," corrected Sentinel, "I don't have a stomach."

"Oh," mused Bailey, "I guess you guys don't rely on the foods that we eat?"

"Nope," answered Sentinel, "just energon."

"Energon?" paused Bailey, "what's that?"

"This," replied Sentinel, pulling out a blue glowing cube from his subspace compartment and showing it to Bailey.

"Oh, cool!" chirped Bailey, "so how do you get energon?"

"We mine it," explained Sentinel.

"Ok then," nodded Bailey, "I could show you how to get to The Imperial Palace."

Sentinel returned the energon cube back into his subspace compartment.

"All right," sighed Sentinel, "I hope you don't mind eating with Sam instead of me, though."

Sentinel transformed into his alternate mode as Bailey picked up her bag and her boombox. She hopped into the Rosenbauer Panther and buckled up.

"Where to?" asked Sentinel.

Bailey pulled out her smart phone and showed Sentinel's holoform the map indicating The Imperial Palace's location.

"Got it," confirmed Sentinel, "let's roll."

Sentinel drove away from the lake and down the road until they reached The Imperial Palace. Bailey and Sentinel's holoform hopped out and entered the restaurant. They waited in line until they were close enough to the cashier.

"Hello, ma'am," said the cashier, "can I take your order?"

"I'll have the small beef fried rice in a take-out box and water," requested Bailey, "but please don't add any peanuts."

"You got it," agreed the cashier, "should I get anything for your grandpa?"

"What?" warbled Bailey, "he's not my grandpa!"

"I can hear, sir," replied Sentinel, "and I can talk as well. No, I won't be having anything."

"All right, then," nodded the cashier.

After Bailey made her payment, she and Sentinel's holoform sat down at a table near a few sleazy guys, who began staring at her.

"Hey, guys," snickered a sleazy guy, "how much do you wanna pay to bang this hot chick?"

Bailey overheard that comment and glared at the sleazy guys.

"Assholes," muttered Bailey.

"Excuse me a moment," replied Sentinel.

Sentinel's holoform stood from his table and approached the sleazy guys.

"I wouldn't worry about it," growled Sentinel, "because none of you would ever be able to afford her price. She's with me, so back off."

"Eww," commented another sleazy guy, "you're dating your own granddaughter?"

The sleazy guys burst into laughter.

"No," warned Sentinel, "but my foot is about to _**date**_ your disgusting ass."

The sleazy guys only stared at Sentinel's holoform, not sure what to say to him.

"If you don't want that," advised Sentinel, "I suggest you leave her alone."

Sentinel turned away and returned to the table where Bailey was sitting.

"Idiots," grumbled Sentinel.

"Thanks," admitted Bailey, "but I could've told them to back off myself."

Just then, Bailey noticed that the cashier placed a take-out box, some chopsticks and napkins into a paper bag before placing a bottle of water and the paper bag on the counter.

"Oh, yeah," chirped Bailey, "my order is ready!"

Bailey got out of her seat and approached the counter and picked up the paper bag and bottle of water.

"Have a good evening," sang the cashier.

Satisfied, Bailey and Sentinel's holoform left the restaurant and hopped into the Rosenbauer Panther.

"You didn't want to eat there?" asked Sentinel.

"No," answered Bailey, "I usually don't dine out at that restaurant. I eat the food at home."

Bailey held onto the paper bag as the Rosenbauer Panther drove down the road until they reached the base. Once Sentinel reached the hangar, Bailey hopped out while carrying her bag, her boombox, her paper bag and her bottle of water, allowing the elder Prime to transform. She sat down at one of the lounge chairs as she began eating from her take-out box. Just then, Optimus entered the hangar, catching Sentinel and Bailey's attention.

"So, where have you two been?" asked Optimus.

"Uh, Bailey," requested Sentinel, "help me here."

"Oh, right," explained Bailey, "Sentinel and I went on a date."

"Uh," agreed Sentinel, "yeah."

There was an awkward moment of silence as Optimus gave Sentinel and Bailey a puzzled look while he scratched his head.

"You got my father to go on a date?" paused Optimus, "how?"

"I told him that I liked him and I asked him out," answered Bailey.

"And how did you get him to say yes?" questioned Optimus.

"Uh," stammered Bailey, "I guess you could say that I complimented him."

"Do tell," insisted Optimus.

"Well," chuckled Bailey, "I know Sentinel's such a kind person."

Sentinel gave a nervous chuckle.

"I have to admit," admitted Optimus, "I didn't expect Sentinel to find another mate, not even a human. Perhaps it would be good for him."

"Thank you, Optimus," smiled Sentinel.

"Now," said Optimus, "where was I?"

Optimus headed further into the hangar as Bailey finished eating from her take-out box. She found a nearby trashcan and tossed the trash before turning to Sentinel.

"Hey, Sentinel," requested Bailey, "could you come closer?"

Sentinel kneeled down to Bailey's level and leaned his head closer to her face.

"What?" asked Sentinel.

"Can we begin our spying mission this Sunday?" whispered Bailey.


	26. Both Sides of the Story

When Saturday arrived, it was time for Bailey's family to leave, so Sentinel and Bailey drove them to the airport before returning to base. Upon arrival, they noticed Akane using her bracer to absorb the AllSpark shards on the ground. Bailey hopped out of the fire truck, allowing Sentinel to transform into his robot mode.

"Hey," protested Bailey, "I thought uniting the shards was my job!"

"Didn't you hear me tell you that you deserve a nice break?" reminded Akane, "you're not the only Keeper of the AllSpark, remember?"

"Who said you could order her around?" demanded Sentinel, "I'd rather have the AllSpark in her possession than yours."

"Before you play the blame game," explained Akane, "I'd like you to know that I've had this bracer for five years. Bailey, on the other hand, has only had hers for almost a month now."

"Oh," grumbled Bailey, "you've got to be kidding me! Does that even count as an excuse?"

"No, Bailey," answered Sentinel, "it does not."

Sentinel turned to Akane.

"The AllSpark belongs to my people," continued Sentinel, "and Bailey knows and respects them; unlike you, with your haughty, arrogant attitude."

"Then maybe you should bring her along when you go shard hunting?" suggested Akane.

"What?!" exclaimed Bailey, "but if I do that—"

"We have a procedure where we bring the shards back to her so Megatron can't get her," explained Sentinel.

"You could simply find places to hide so the Decepticons can't find you," advised Akane, "that is, while you're accompanying the Autobots. I know I help with the searching most of the time, and anyone who can't bring herself to help find the shards without fear of being targeted is a coward."

"Why you—" muttered Bailey.

"Think about it, Bailey," concluded Akane, "if you truly want to get involved, then you should get into the action instead of cowering in the shadows. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Without saying anything, Akane turned her back on Bailey and Sentinel before marching towards the silver car.

"Anyone who feels the need to put others down is the true coward!" groaned Sentinel, "she stays behind because we tell her to."

Akane hopped into the car, which drove out of the base. Bailey wanted to shout insults at Akane, but couldn't bring herself to do it. She lowered her head, hurt by the Japanese woman's harsh words and stinging voice. After watching the car drive out of sight, Sentinel glanced down at Bailey.

"Bailey?" Sentinel said softly.

Bailey didn't say anything, but she made a glance at Sentinel, sadness in her eyes. The elder Prime activated his human-sized holoform, which gave her a hug.

"The nerve of that," grumbled Sentinel, "that bitch."

"Am I," stuttered Bailey, "really useless to you? I know I haven't actually fought against any Decepticon."

"Now listen to me," assured Sentinel, "not her. You are the most important person to this cause. If we lose you, we lose everything. I can't speak for everyone, but I personally hope you don't ever have to fight a Decepticon, and not because I don't think you could. Given the right knowledge and tools, you could certainly beat them. She is just trying to get under your skin. I think it's part of whatever her secret plan is. She doesn't like that we don't trust her like everyone else does. That's a threat to her. Just….don't pay any mind to her hurtful words. Listen to me, not her."

Bailey gave a soft smile as she returned the embrace and rested her head against his shoulder.

"Thank you, Sentinel," smiled Bailey, "that meant a lot to me."

"Good," nodded Sentinel, "because I meant every word."

Sentinel's holoform gently stroked her hair while Bailey moved her head until she was close enough to his face. After a moment of silence, she leaned in until her lips barely brushed against his. The elder Prime kept still and let her kiss him. It wasn't long before he returned the kiss, bringing one hand to cup her face and supporting her back with the other arm. After a while, they broke off the kiss.

"Hey, Sentinel," asked Bailey, "can we head inside so I could get ready for gaming night?"

"Gaming night?" paused Sentinel.

"It's where Clayton, Olive, Fred and I gather at Clayton's place to play video games," clarified Bailey.

"Ah," nodded Sentinel, "of course."

Bailey released her embrace as Sentinel's holoform dissipated. The elder Prime scooped her up and sauntered towards his living quarters.

"Do you think they would mind if you brought along a friend?" asked Sentinel.

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind Samuel Prior," assured Bailey.

"Good," smiled Sentinel, "because I'd like to meet your friends."

Once they were inside the elder Prime's living quarters, Sentinel set down Bailey, allowing her to get ready to go out.

* * *

Meanwhile, Knockout just finished repairing Shockwave's optic.

"There you go," sighed Knockout, "can you see well, now?"

"Yes," nodded Shockwave, "you have a scratch on your back."

"What?!" exclaimed Knockout.

Knockout didn't know that he made a tiny scratch when he wasn't paying attention, and now that Shockwave pointed it out, the Decepticon medic found a mirror to inspect his scratch.

"Oh, no," panicked Knockout, "not the finish! Now I have to go back to buffing again!"

Shockwave stood up from the berth.

"A medic who glitches at a miniscule scratch," sighed Shockwave, "illogical."

Shockwave simply walked out of the medical bay as Knockout began buffing his paint job.

* * *

The next day, Lennox, Bailey and Ironhide returned to the base from grocery shopping. While Bailey began putting away the groceries, Lennox noticed Akane conversing with Ratchet prompting him to approach the Japanese woman and the Autobot medic and join the conversation. Once Bailey finished putting away the groceries, she took care of the plastic bags and exited the hangar before returning to Sentinel's living quarters, where he was reading from his data pad.

"Ok," called Bailey, "I'm back!"

Upon cue, Sentinel put down the data pad and pulled out a circular device that is rather tiny for his hand.

"Oh, good," replied Sentinel, "I had Wheeljack help create an audio recording device for our espionage mission."

"Do I have to attach it to some sort of wall?" asked Bailey.

"No," answered Sentinel, "you can carry it."

"Ok," nodded Bailey, "Akane is currently talking to Ratchet and Lennox right now, so I asked Lennox to try and get the location of the hotel for us."

"Good," instructed Sentinel, "go test that thing out and see what she's saying to Ratchet."

Sentinel offered the audio recording device to Bailey, prompting her to pluck it out of his hand. She then sprinted out of the living quarters and into the hangar, where she activated the device once she was close enough to Ratchet and Akane, but she hid in order to avoid being spotted.

"So did you intend to come to Earth?" asked Akane.

"We didn't know about it," answered Ratchet, "all we knew is what can be seen from space."

"I'm starting to suspect that it must be fate that brought you here," mused Akane, "now, if you'll excuse me, I must be going."

Bailey shut off the audio recording device as Akane turned to leave, but…

"Excuse me," interrupted Lennox, "Akane, can I ask you something?"

Akane turned to Lennox.

"Go on," replied Akane.

"I just need your hotel information," requested Lennox, "since you are technically a foreign ambassador, the US will pay for your accommodations, but we need your information for records."

"I see," mused Akane, "in that case…"

As Akane gave the hotel information, Bailey carefully examined the audio recording device. She noted that it was circular in shape. Just then, Akane finished revealing the hotel information.

"I hope you are satisfied," said Akane, "I'll see you later."

"Take care," replied Lennox.

Without saying anything further, Akane left the hangar, prompting Bailey to come out of hiding, which caught Lennox's attention.

"Hey, Bailey," called Lennox, "what's that you got?"

"Oh, this?" explained Bailey, "it's an audio recording device Wheeljack created, and Sentinel sent me to test it out."

"What's it for?" asked Lennox.

"Well, duh," answered Bailey, "it's for recording sound!"

"Oh, ok," nodded Lennox.

"So, did you get the name of the hotel?" asked Bailey.

Lennox relayed the information of Akane's hotel to Bailey.

"Thanks, Lennox," smiled Bailey, "you're a great guy!"

Bailey sprinted out of the hangar and towards Sentinel's living quarters, where she relayed the information from Lennox to the elder Prime.

"…Akane is on her way back to the hotel she's staying at," continued Bailey, "so I'm not sure if we should leave now. I'm worried that she might find out about what we're up to."

"We'll go a different way," assured Sentinel, "so she won't see us."

"Thanks!" smiled Bailey.

Sentinel led Bailey outside after she put on some sneakers and transformed into his alternate mode. She hopped inside and buckled up, prompting the elder Prime to drive out of the base and down the road until they reached the hotel. Luckily, Akane was nowhere to be seen outside.

"Good luck," said Sentinel, "call me if you need me."

Upon cue, Bailey slipped out of Sentinel's alternate mode and stepped into the hotel lobby. Luckily, Akane wasn't in her sight, so she headed further into the hotel, only to be stopped by an attendant.

"Excuse me, miss," interrupted the attendant, "but have you made a reservation here?"

"Actually," lied Bailey, "I was just visiting a friend of mine."

"Oh," replied the attendant, "go on ahead, then."

Bailey continued to wander through the hotel, using directories to locate Akane's hotel room. She had to use an elevator to get to the right floor. After stepping out of the elevator, she crept along the hallway, careful to make as minimal sound as possible to avoid detection. She soon found the door to the room, but she knew she had no way of opening it since she had no card key. Fortunately, she saw the door open, so she hid to avoid being spotted. Just as a crewmember stepped into the hall and walked away, Bailey quickly seized the chance and slipped into the room before the door could close. Once she was inside Akane's hotel room, she leaned her back against the wall, pulled out the audio recording device and activated it, careful to not make a sound. She could see Akane finishing her tea while relaxing in an armchair as her butler massaged her shoulders. After putting the teacup aside, she stood up and stepped towards the dresser, picking up what appears to be a photo frame.

"Saburou," whispered Akane, "what have you been doing this whole time?"

Akane set down the photo frame.

"Is something the matter, Ozaki-sama?" asked the butler.

"I am all right," answered Akane, "I am rather disappointed that Bailey refused my offer. If she had, then maybe I would've taught her everything about Cosmosis so she could take my place in case anything happened to me."

"And Sentinel?" questioned the butler.

"I honestly don't hold a grudge against him," admitted Akane, "although he is rather cranky. Couldn't you have come up with a different plan that didn't involve kidnapping?"

"Forgive me, Ozaki-sama," apologized the butler humbly, "but I don't think simple negotiations would've worked with the American government organizations on our tails at that time. You know your father said we cannot reveal our organization to the public."

"You don't need to remind me, and besides," replied Akane, "the government may know about us, but the citizens don't know yet."

Akane let out a sigh.

"Maybe with the technology we create from the AllSpark," continued Akane, "there would be no suffering, no war, no hatred, and maybe everyone could live in peace with each other…as well as with all of life on this planet. Then after that, we're returning the AllSpark to the Autobots. I can't break that promise; I will not. I have to put a stop to the damage…before this planet becomes uninhabitable."

Satisfied with the information she got, Bailey turned off the audio recording device before she quietly opened the door and snuck out into the hall. She managed to reach the elevator and exit the hotel, where the Rosenbauer Panther was waiting. Once she hopped in, she buckled up and presented the audio recording device to the holoform.

"I got the information we need," reported Bailey.

"All right," instructed Sentinel, "play it back."

Bailey activated the device, which played back the conversation between Akane and her butler.

"I wonder why the government is on their tails?" pondered Sentinel, "also, it seems she's not 'in charge' as we thought. I fear someone may be manipulating her without her knowledge."

"Either that," suggested Bailey, "or maybe she has a vendetta against someone."

"I'm getting a real 'snake in the grass' vibe from this butler guy," replied Sentinel.

"Maybe we can ask her about him?" suggested Bailey.

"How?" objected Sentinel, "she doesn't know we were here."

"We could ask her about her relatives, first," clarified Bailey, "and then about her crewmembers; that is, without referring to our little mission."

"She'd better not be up to no good," replied Sentinel, "speaking of good, there's a gas station around here and I'm thirsty."

"Ok," nodded Bailey.

Sentinel drove away from the hotel and towards a gas station to get his fill of diesel before returning to base.


	27. Bleed it Out

Two days later, Bailey was still on her shift while Optimus and the other Autobots began contacting organizations and companies to deliver the shards. At the moment, Sentinel noticed Akane absorbing the shards the Autobots collected from Toyota. Once she finished, the elder Prime approached the Japanese woman and knelt down to her level, catching her attention.

"What now?" asked Akane.

"May I have a word with you," requested Sentinel, "alone?"

"Go ahead," nodded Akane.

Sentinel led Akane to behind the elder Prime's living quarters.

"Do you have any relatives?" asked Sentinel.

"I have a father named Osamu," answered Akane, "and an older brother named Saburou."

"Err," stammered Sentinel, "do they have nicknames?"

"Not that I know of," replied Akane, "but I can tell you my father died five years ago and my brother disappeared shortly after that. I can take care of myself, although my father had my butler look after me since that day."

"Bailey told me that you said that the AllSpark 'consumed' your father," mentioned Sentinel, "how exactly did that happen?"

Akane let out a sigh.

"My father found out about Saburou's secret plan to kidnap thousands of women who write fanfictions, create fanart and make these Let's Play videos and slaughter them in the most gruesome manner," explained Akane, "when my father confronted my brother about it, he claimed that women are not supposed to do such things, which I call bullshit; and he wants to punish them for it. I guess you could say Saburou is like Megatron. In the midst of the argument, my father became enraged by my brother's disgusting plans, causing the AllSpark bracer to swallow him, turn him into a mechanical monster and drain his blood. We weren't able to reverse the transformation, and he died of blood loss. Even if Saburou failed to execute the plan, he still blamed me for his death."

"I don't think the AllSpark caused that," replied Sentinel, "it doesn't have that power. I fear some dark, evil power is at work here. Can you tell me why your brother would target that particular group of women?"

"I guess it's because he hates women," answered Akane, "I've heard him brag about how women should only exist to serve men, which is contrary to my father's beliefs. Have you heard of a certain category of pornography that depicts humiliation and degradation of women? That's what Saburou would often masturbate to when he thinks no one is looking."

"I am not involved in pornography at all," affirmed Sentinel, "I despise the very idea of it. Is this genocidal sexist slagger still on the loose?"

At that time, Sentinel thought of Bailey, since she is a gamer and has shown him a Heroman slash fic which was mild.

"I haven't seen him in five years," nodded Akane, "so I guess he might be."

Just then, Sentinel heard beeping from his com-link.

"Excuse me a moment," said Sentinel to Akane.

The elder Prime answered the incoming transmission.

"Sentinel Prime here," called Sentinel.

"Bad news, Sentinel," reported Bumblebee over the com-link, "I just saw Barricade entering the parking lot near the GameStop. I may need reinforcements in case more Cons arrive."

"I'm on my way," assured Sentinel, "try to hold them off until then, and don't let them get their hands on Bailey."

"You got it," nodded Bumblebee over the com-link.

Sentinel shut off the com-link before focusing his optics on Akane.

"Bailey's in grave danger," explained Sentinel.

"All right," replied Akane, "I'll go get Optimus."

Akane turned around and sprinted across the base to find Optimus as Sentinel stood to his feet and raced towards the open area and towards the hangar to withdraw the Pillars from the vault.

* * *

Meanwhile, Barricade spotted Bumblebee while driving through the parking lot. He waited a short while after sending the signal before Megatron, Blitzwing, Starscream, Skywarp, Shockwave and Thundercracker arrived, prompting the police Decepticon to transform.

"We found Bailey," reported Barricade, "she's at the GameStop building."

"Excellent," ordered Megatron, "Starscream, Blitzwing, Thundercracker, you know what to do."

Starscream, Blitzwing and Thundercracker fired rockets at the GameStop building, triggering a few explosions.

Inside the building, the explosions sent the workers and the customers into a panic, including Bailey.

"What the hell is going on?!" exclaimed the manager.

"How should I know?" replied Bailey.

Bailey crept out from behind the reception counter and towards the window to investigate.

Outside, Bumblebee transformed and intercepted the Decepticons.

"Only one Autobot?" smirked Megatron, "this is going to be too easy."

"Don't count on it, Megatron," countered Bumblebee, "you are not getting your hands on Bailey!"

Bumblebee charged at Megatron, ready to take him down. The Decepticon leader simply punched the yellow Autobot and sent him crashing into the ground.

"Bumblebee!" panicked Bailey.

As if upon cue, Bumblebee's spark started glowing. Bailey pressed on the round gem of her bracer and raised her fist high into the air after giving the bracer a moment to charge up. The light in his spark enveloped the yellow Autobot and changed his appearance, allowing him to jump back to his feet and charge at the Decepticons again, slamming his fist into Barricade's face and sending him crashing into the ground.

"What," exclaimed Starscream.

"The," added Thundercracker.

"Frag?!" concluded Skywarp.

"Attack him," commanded Megatron, "you imbeciles!"

Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker shot at Bumblebee, but the yellow Autobot dodged the shots with ease. He then threw his chakrams at the Seekers, making deep cuts on their frames as they bled energon.

"You'll pay for that!" growled Thundercracker.

"Hey, Doritos!" called another Autobot.

Just then, the Decepticons noticed that Sentinel, Optimus, Smokescreen, Ironhide, Arcee and Elita arrived from the space bridge and transformed after the Peterbilt semi truck allowed Akane to disembark. At the same time, Bumblebee moved in to attack Shockwave, but Megatron intercepted him and swung his flail at his face. The hit knocked him off his feet and reverted his Mega-Upgrade.

"Bumblebee," shouted Bailey, "no!"

Bailey sprinted outside towards Bumblebee, catching the attention of both Autobots and Decepticons.

"Bailey," commanded Sentinel, "get back! It's too dangerous! I'll get him."

Shockwave aimed his cannon at Sentinel.

"You will not interfere, old mech," warned Shockwave.

Bailey stopped in her tracks when she was only a few feet away from Bumblebee, who was struggling to get back to his feet.

"Surrender yourself, human," demanded Megatron.

"Leave her alone!" barked Sentinel.

Sentinel ran straight towards Megatron, but he was quickly intercepted by Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker.

"Nice try," teased Starscream, "old mech."

"I'm not going _**anywhere**_ with you," snapped Bailey, "you rusty bastard!"

"You _**will**_ obey Lord Megatron's orders," insisted Shockwave, "I have recorded your sister's first time with him."

"What?!" exclaimed Bailey, "you pervert!"

"Lord Megatron has given me permission to release it to the public if you refuse him," explained Shockwave.

"You're a dirty coward, Megatron!" snarled Sentinel, as he kept fighting the Seekers, trying to get to Megatron and Bailey.

"Wait," protested Bailey, "if you do that…"

"I'm sure your sister will lose all of her friends," sneered Shockwave, "no one will ever want to love her, and many disgusting pigs will want to track her down and rape her to oblivion."

Bailey cringed at the thought of Sophie crying while sleazy dudes take turns violating her. She felt anger boil inside her and it was starting to turn into rage at the instant she began experiencing a flashback of the day she saw Sophie lying on the ground with the blood stain on her skirt while crying. She clenched her fists while she glared at Megatron, not paying attention to the fact that her bracer was flashing a red color.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" shouted Bailey.

Just as Bailey began charging at Megatron, her bracer suddenly exploded as it instantly swallowed her.

"Bailey!" panicked Sentinel.

Much to Sentinel's shock and Akane's horror, the bracer transformed Bailey into what appeared to be a monstrous robotic berserker.

"It can't be!" gasped Akane, "first, my father, now her…"

Sentinel began com-linking Ratchet.

"We need help," begged Sentinel, "please! It's an emergency!"

"What happened?" demanded Ratchet over the com-link.

Sentinel noticed that Bailey charged at Megatron, tackled him into the ground and ripped a piece of his face off with her claws.

"Just get here," commanded Sentinel, "we have a serious problem."

"All right," nodded Ratchet over the com-link, "but you're going to have to bridge me here."

Akane activated her bracer, which transformed her uniform into her armor and she unsheathed her katana as Shockwave moved in to pluck Bailey off of Megatron.

"The AllSpark bracer is using her rage and her blood as a source of its power," explained Akane, "if Bailey doesn't calm down in a few minutes, she'll die!"

"Scrap!" muttered Sentinel.

Like a raging bull, Sentinel plowed through the Seekers and reached Megatron.

"Bailey," warned Sentinel, "listen to me! You need to calm down or you'll die!"

Much to Sentinel's dismay, Bailey didn't listen. But just as Shockwave reached his hand out, Bailey turned around and swiped her claw at the Decepticon's hand, dragging her claw across Shockwave's hand and causing it to bleed energon. Akane seized this chance to charge at Shockwave and stab the back of his leg, causing him to howl in pain.

"Bailey," yelled Akane, "snap out of it!"

Starscream, Barricade, Thundercracker, Skywarp and Blitzwing began charging at Sentinel and Akane, but were intercepted by Optimus, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Smokescreen, Arcee and Elita.

"BAILEY HANSON," shouted Sentinel as close to Bailey's face as he could get, "LOOK AT ME, NOW!"

Once again, Bailey didn't listen, but she crept down Megatron's chest and began ripping out the metal casing that protected his spark chamber.

"Shockwave," Megatron groaned in pain, "don't just stand there, kill her!"

Shockwave pulled out his cannon and aimed at Bailey. Time slowed as Sentinel saw the shot fired, and as he leapt between Bailey and the shot, he didn't even register the pain as he went down, his shield and Primax blade clattering to the ground, a horrid scream of pain tearing loose from him. As the elder Prime's back began bleeding energon, Optimus kicked Blitzwing in the face before he rushed to Sentinel's aid.

" _Nasutn'on_!" panicked Optimus.

Optimus tackled Shockwave to the ground as Sentinel carefully plucked Bailey off of Megatron, causing her to pause in her tracks as the elder Prime brought her close to him, cradling her in his arms and his body shaking with pain while the Autobots continued fighting the Decepticons.

"Bailey," begged Sentinel, "I can't lose you….nor can…your family. Sophie…I understand how….you feel about that….I promise…..I'll help. Just….nngh, c-calm…..down…"

Sentinel collapsed, thankfully into Optimus's arms. The elder Prime gently embraced Bailey to his chest, kissing the top of her head. Miraculously, the Cybertronian components began receding as her bracer began to take shape, revealing the human woman. Bailey looked rather pale and she had a few cuts on her arms, her legs and her face while bleeding slightly. To add more to Sentinel's relief, she was barely breathing and she slowly opened her eyes.

"S-Sentinel," Bailey gasped softly.

"Yes," nodded Sentinel, "I am here…Aagh!"

Sentinel winced in pain, but he managed to pull the small control out of his subspace compartment and hand it to Optimus while Shockwave got back to his feet and slowly helped Megatron to his feet. Meanwhile, Bumblebee noticed several news vans arriving at the square.

"Get," requested Sentinel, "R-Ratchet…here."

While the Autobots and the Decepticons stopped fighting, Optimus activated the space bridge. A moment later, Ratchet emerged from the portal.

"Ratchet," ordered Optimus, "get Sentinel and Bailey to the medical bay."

"Optimus," called Bumblebee, "we got company!"

Ironhide glanced at the news vans, and noticed that several news reporters were emerging from the vans.

"Oh, scrap," grumbled Ironhide.

Optimus carefully lifted Sentinel to his feet and allowed Ratchet to take over. Sentinel didn't even throw a swear in Ratchet's direction, which immediately told the medic that this was serious.

"It's all right, Sentinel," assured Ratchet, "you two will be ok."

Akane deactivated her armor while she, Bumblebee and Smokescreen followed Ratchet and Sentinel through the portal.

"Decepticons," commanded Shockwave, "we must retreat."

"Arcee," instructed Optimus, "secure Bailey's belongings."

"Yes, sir," nodded Arcee.

Arcee sprinted towards the wrecked GameStop while the Decepticons began retreating.

"Ironhide," directed Optimus, "return to base with Arcee and the others. Elita and I will deal with this."

"Consider it done," acknowledged Ironhide.

After Arcee returned with Bailey's handbag, she and Ironhide sprinted through the portal, taking them back to base. Once the space bridge deactivated, they could see Mearing approach them.

"Ironhide," requested Mearing, "tell Optimus to come straight to my office when he gets back."

Without saying anything further, Mearing sauntered back into the hangar.

"Oh, Primus," groaned Ironhide, "this can't be good."


	28. Questionable Consequences

Optimus and Elita just returned to base after having to interview all of those news reporters. He was feeling rather uneasy since the Autobots would have a hard time keeping secret. Elita felt the same way, even when she was carrying Sentinel's weapons.

"Elita," said Optimus, "you are dismissed after you return Sentinel's weapons to his quarters."

Elita sauntered over to Sentinel's quarters to put away the elder Prime's Primax blade and shield while Ironhide sprinted towards Optimus.

"Ironhide," asked Optimus, "how are Sentinel and Bailey?"

"Ratchet won't let anyone inside and he won't say anything," answered Ironhide, "but Mearing wants a word with you in her office, now."

"Understood," nodded Optimus.

Sighing, Optimus stepped into the hangar and wandered through the building until he stopped at Mearing's office. He transformed into his alternate mode and activated his holoform, which stepped into the office.

"Is there something you wanted from me, ma'am?" asked Optimus.

"The fact that this has gone public," answered Mearing.

"I understand you wanted to keep our presence a secret," replied Optimus, "but I believe the Decepticons don't care about secrecy."

"But this unit does," objected Mearing, "we cannot have our information and operations exposed like this because now I may not be able to protect you all from the government higher ups."

"Oh, Primus," groaned Optimus, "now, what are we going to do? Elita and I tried as hard as we could to convince the reporters that they don't deserve to know about our war. They are still interviewing the witnesses, however."

"Oh, great," sighed Mearing, "well, I guess you did all you were able to do. I'll have to talk to some other officials about it. Let me know if you hear anything else. If reporters come after you, send them to me. I'll keep you posted with what I find out. Until then, you are dismissed."

The Autobot leader's holoform stepped out of the office before fizzing out. Optimus transformed and stepped through the corridor until he exited the hangar, where Ratchet was waiting for him.

"Ratchet?" paused Optimus.

"You're free to visit them," reported Ratchet, "but they need rest."

"Thank you, Ratchet," smiled Optimus.

Optimus sauntered over to the medical bay, where he could see Sentinel and Bailey resting on the berth. Bailey had bandages over where her cuts were. Sentinel lay on his side, a wide metallic bandage around his chest and midsection, which covered the wound on his back, his head propped up like a human's would be on pillows. The young Prime cautiously approached the two, catching their attention.

"Optimus?" whispered Bailey in a hoarse voice.

"Yes, Bailey?" replied Optimus softly.

"How am I supposed to explain this to my manager?" asked Bailey, "he saw Bumblebee."

"Mearing and her people are working on that," answered Optimus.

"Oh, good," sighed Bailey, "it's just…I had no idea that the AllSpark could do this to me."

"You mean the transformation that nearly killed you?" clarified Optimus.

Bailey nodded.

"Neither did we," continued Optimus.

"I see," mumbled Bailey, "could you ask someone to bring me a grilled cheese sandwich and lemonade? I'm starting to get hungry."

"Certainly," nodded Optimus, "do you need anything else?"

"Maybe my 3DS," requested Bailey, "its charger and the cases to Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Kirby Triple Deluxe and New Super Mario Bros 2?"

Optimus gave her a blank stare, not understanding any of what Bailey said.

"Grilled cheese, then," confirmed Optimus.

Optimus stepped out of the medical bay and noticed that Jazz arrived with Clayton inside. The young man hopped out, allowing the Autobot to transform.

"Hey, Optimus," called Clayton, "did you see the news lately?"

"I'd rather not discuss it," replied Optimus, "can you get a grilled cheese sandwich and lemonade for Bailey?"

"You got it," nodded Clayton, "did she say what games she'd like me to bring her?"

Optimus played back the recording of Bailey's request, since it was pure gibberish to him.

"Ok then," smiled Clayton, "I'll check Sentinel's place for the games and I'll make her a nice sandwich."

Clayton sprinted into Sentinel's living quarters and found Bailey's 3DS, the cases for Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Kirby Triple Deluxe, New Super Mario Bros 2, the 3DS charger and the strategy guide for the Pokémon game before stuffing them into an empty handbag. He then stepped outside and held out the handbag to Optimus.

"Could you give this to Bailey?" asked Clayton, "I'll go make the sandwich."

"Yes, I will," nodded Optimus, "thank you. Is all of this medically necessary for humans?"

"Not really," answered Clayton, "but it's a sure way to entertain herself so she doesn't get bored."

"I thought she would use Sentinel for that," sighed Optimus, while lowering his head in sadness.

"Hold on," paused Clayton, "I'm sure Sen and Bails can keep each other company, even if she plays video games."

Optimus plucked the handbag out of Clayton's hands.

"I don't know," replied Optimus, "maybe it's just me, but it feels like he's only second priority for when the battery dies."

"I know she can just recharge the 3DS when it runs out of power," assured Clayton, "that's why I put the charger in the bag. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd better go make that sandwich."

Clayton sprinted towards the hangar while Optimus entered the medical bay. Inside, he could see Bailey nestling into Sentinel's shoulder while hugging his face, even when she was still resting on the berth. He carefully set the bag aside, not wanting to wake them. However, it turned out that Bailey was not sleeping as she turned her head at the bag, and then Optimus.

"Oh," smiled Bailey, "thanks, Optimus."

"Y-Yes," nodded Optimus.

Optimus walked out sadly, wondering if Sentinel will even survive from the injury. He was glad his own father finally found someone he could care for, although he didn't expect for her to be a human. He waited for a while until he saw Clayton walk out of the hangar while carrying a glass of lemonade and a grilled cheese sandwich on a plate.

"Hey," asked Clayton, "could you try not to spill the lemonade?"

"Yes," replied Optimus, "thank you."

Optimus led Clayton into the medical bay before taking the lemonade and the grilled cheese sandwich out of Clayton's hands. He carefully set down the food near Bailey, careful not to spill the lemonade. Upon cue, she snatched the sandwich and began eating it.

"Is that all you need?" asked Optimus.

"For now," answered Bailey.

"All right," nodded Optimus.

Optimus and Clayton approached the exit, not paying attention to the bucket of water carefully placed at the top of the entrance. Just as Clayton stepped outside, he was suddenly drenched in a deluge of water.

"YAAAHHHH!" shrieked Clayton.

The next thing he knew, he heard a torrent of laughter from two Autobots nearby. Clayton and Optimus turned their heads at Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, who were peeking at them while they pulled their latest prank.

"My quarters," commanded Optimus, "now!"

"Aww, scrap!" groaned Sideswipe.

"Do they pull these pranks all the time?" warbled Clayton, surprised and confused.

"There's a reason they're called the Terror Twins," explained Optimus.

"Ok," muttered Clayton, "I'll go get a towel."

While Clayton sauntered over towards the hangar, Optimus led Sideswipe and Sunstreaker into his quarters.

"What do I have to do with you two now?" groaned Optimus.

"It was just a harmless prank," insisted Sunstreaker, "honest!"

"What are my orders?" reminded Optimus.

"Uhh," stammered Sideswipe, "no pulling pranks on the humans?"

"Thank you," agreed Optimus, "what part of that do you not understand?"

"He looked really friendly," claimed Sunstreaker.

"We thought he would be more lenient with us," added Sideswipe.

"Maybe you didn't understand," interrogated Optimus, "what did I tell you?"

"All right, all right!" groaned Sideswipe, "pulling pranks on the humans is a bad idea! We get it!"

"Good," nodded Optimus, "you may go."

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stomped out of the Autobot leader's quarters with disgruntled looks on their faces while passing by Ratchet. The Autobot medic stepped towards the entrance to Optimus's quarters.

"Yes, Ratchet?" said Optimus.

"The Terror Twins pulled another prank," asked Ratchet, "didn't they?"

"Yes," answered Optimus, "they did."

"Oh, Primus," groaned Ratchet, facepalming, "I hate it when that happens. Who was the victim?"

"Clayton," replied Optimus, "Bailey's friend."

"At least it wasn't Mearing or Simmons this time," sighed Ratchet, "by the way, Sentinel just woke up and he would like a word with you."

"Did he say anything else?" asked Optimus.

"No," answered Ratchet.

"All right, then," nodded Optimus.

Ratchet led Optimus towards the medical bay, where he could see that Bailey finished her lunch and was now playing Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.

"Was there something you wanted from me, father?" said Optimus.

Sentinel pulled the small control out of his subspace compartment and gave it to Optimus.

"Optimus," requested Sentinel, "I think it would be best if I just stay off the field from now on, so I'm giving the Pillars to you. Continue to find the shards. Continue to fight."

"You have my word, Sentinel," nodded Optimus.

"You will do great," smiled Sentinel, "Optimus."

Optimus placed the small control into his subspace compartment before turning to Ratchet.

"Should we move them to their quarters?" asked Optimus.

"I'd rather keep him overnight if you don't mind, Optimus," answered Ratchet.

"Understood," nodded Optimus.

Optimus stepped out of the medical bay and noticed that Clayton just emerged from the hangar with a towel around his neck.

"So," questioned Clayton, "why is Bailey in the medbay? I know Sentinel got shot, but Bailey?"

"Bailey's bracer reacted to her anger and transformed her into what seemed to be a Cybertronian mutant," explained Optimus, "she attacked Megatron while she was in that state, but if we hadn't reversed the transformation, she would've died."

"Whoa!" exclaimed Clayton, "what got her that angry? Did she at least trash Megafreak?"

"Remember the incident with Bailey's younger sister when her family was visiting?" reminded Optimus.

"Yeah," nodded Clayton.

"He threatened to show the world," explained Optimus.

"Oh, man," muttered Clayton, "and I thought revenge porn damages the most reputation."

"I don't understand that particular term," replied Optimus, "could you clarify for me?"

Clayton spent the next couple of minutes explaining about revenge porn to Optimus.

"That is downright disgusting," commented Optimus, "but it sounds like something Megatron would do."

"Yeah," nodded Clayton, "my older sister wouldn't have committed suicide if it weren't for her shitty ex-boyfriend, who thought that posting her nudes on the Internet would serve as punishment for dumping him."

"I am sorry to hear that," muttered Optimus.

"That's ok," assured Clayton, "I wonder where Bumblebee is, so I can go home."

"He went to get energon," replied Optimus, "I believe."

"Ok, then," asked Clayton, "do you have any other suggestions?"

"No," answered Optimus.

Just then, Bumblebee appeared after finishing up his energon.

"Ready to go, Clay?" chirped Bumblebee.

"Yeah," nodded Clayton.

Bumblebee transformed into his alternate mode, allowing Clayton to hop in and buckle up before the Camaro drove out of the base. Optimus wandered around the base until he noticed Akane standing at the entrance to the hangar.

"Is something wrong, Akane?" asked Optimus.

"I should've warned her," sighed Akane.

"What do you mean?" paused Optimus, confused.

"Because I didn't warn her to control her anger," explained Akane, "Bailey nearly suffered the same fate as my father did."

"No one could have foreseen this," assured Optimus, "do not blame yourself for something that was never in your power."

"I admire your words of comfort," replied Akane, "compared to what my older brother said to me after my father died. I don't feel as guilty now than what I felt five years ago."

"I'm glad I could help," smiled Optimus.

Akane let out a soft chuckle.

"What is so funny?" asked Optimus.

"You remind me of myself when I was younger," mused Akane, "just a bit."

"How?" pondered Optimus.

"I wanted to ensure freedom and equality for everyone on Earth when I was young," answered Akane, "and I still do."

"Ah," agreed Optimus, "I see. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."

"Yes," nodded Akane, "but my older brother disagrees. Come to think of it, I guess he's similar to Megatron."

"Sounds like it," replied Optimus.

Just then, Akane's butler emerged from the hangar with a cup of tea in his hand.

"Excuse me, Ozaki-sama," interrupted the butler, "but your tea is ready."

"Oh," smiled Akane, "thank you."

Akane plucked the teacup from the butler's hand and started drinking from it.

"I'll talk to you later, Optimus," said Akane, eyes focusing on the Autobot leader.

"Good day to you, then," replied Optimus.

Akane stepped into the hangar with her butler following her, careful not to spill the tea.


	29. The Yeager's Farm

After a week passed, Bailey finished recovering from her injuries, but Sentinel still had a long way to go. The GameStop building was currently being repaired, but Mearing insisted that Bailey take a break, worried that the Decepticons would attack again.

At the moment, while Bailey was playing Final Fantasy X, Optimus set up the Pillars as Mearing and Akane stood by.

"Where are you going, now?" asked Mearing.

"We're going to negotiate with the Yeager family on the shards," answered Akane.

"Good luck with that," remarked Mearing.

Just then, Wheeljack, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Elita and Arcee showed up as Optimus transferred the coordinates to the Control Pillar.

"We're all ready, Optimus!" announced Bumblebee.

"And maybe we could figure out how to amplify Bailey's new powers so she doesn't have to die when you get back?" suggested Wheeljack.

"She can hear your big mouth," snapped Ironhide, "Wheeljack."

"I'd rather not risk having Bailey go through what happened last week again," disagreed Akane.

"Understood," agreed Optimus.

Optimus pressed on the top of the Control Pillar, activating the space bridge.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cade Yeager sighed as he sat down in front of a stack of boxes to take a break. He knew the feds would be knocking on his door soon and he was told that he would have to hand over these boxes, considering that it was an issue of national security. While thinking over this matter, he could hear approaching footsteps as Tessa entered the room, carrying a box as she did.

"Ok, Dad," called Tessa, "I found another box of shards!"

"That's good," praised Cade, "honey, you ever wonder what they want with these all of a sudden? I mean, we've had them for a while, and the feds just now decide to get them? Seems kinda…strange…..suspicious, almost."

Tessa scratched her head while thinking about her dad's question. It did seem odd to her.

"Maybe it's got something to do with that rumored alien attack in Virginia," assumed Tessa.

"You think so?" objected Cade, "you know, the only way I'll believe such rumors is if one alien robot shows up at my door."

"Well," suggested Tessa, "why don't you ask them?"

Tessa stepped towards the window and peered through it, noticing cars driving towards the barn.

"Hey, Dad," called Tessa, "that's the semi from the alien story on the news."

"Seriously?" warbled Cade.

Cade stood to his feet and approached the window before peering through it.

"See?" affirmed Tessa, "flame job."

"What kind of feds want to drive a semi as flamboyant as that one?" pondered Cade.

"You should see for yourself," advised Tessa.

Cade and Tessa opened the barn door just as the unusual cars arrived. Akane and Mearing emerged from the Peterbilt semi truck.

"Are you the ones who came here for those shard things?" asked Cade.

"Yes," nodded Akane, "and I hope you took your time to gather them."

"Yeah," answered Cade, "I've got them in boxes in the barn here. Nice truck you got there."

"I guess we'll be loading the trailer," sighed Mearing, "but I doubt we have enough time to get the boxes out of here safely."

"What do you mean safely?" objected Cade, confused.

"It means that it has a destructive potential if it ends up in the wrong hands," clarified Akane.

"Hmm," muttered Cade, "why are the feds driving a bright and blue flame job truck?"

Little did they know, Knockout, Breakdown, Barricade and Blackout were sneaking closer to the barn. The Autobots sent private messages to each other, having picked up the Decepticons' signals.

"We don't have time to move the shards!" panicked Bumblebee softly.

"Surround and guard the barn," commanded Optimus.

"You got it," nodded Arcee.

"When can I show my cannons?" asked Ironhide.

"If the Decepticons try to attack the barn," advised Optimus, "that's when we'll fight back."

Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Ironhide, Arcee and Elita surrounded the barn, anticipating an upcoming battle.

"And now we wait," said Bumblebee, not realizing he just spoke out loud, catching Cade's attention.

"Did that car just talk?" paused Cade.

"Scrap," muttered Bumblebee.

"If that car can talk," assumed Tessa, "then there is more to it than what meets the eye."

"Do the other ones talk, too?" asked Cade.

Cade stepped towards Optimus and banged his knuckles on his hood. Much to his dismay, the Autobot leader didn't speak.

"Ok," said Cade, "don't tell me I'm the only one who heard it."

"I heard it, too," assured Tessa.

Suddenly, Barricade appeared and transformed, startling everyone.

"Shit," exclaimed Cade, "Tessa, you were right. Those damn things were real!"

Just as Knockout, Breakdown and Blackout appeared, Barricade charged at the humans and Tessa tried to outrun him. Sadly, he was faster than she was and he tackled her to the ground, charging his cannon at her head.

"Let go of me!" shouted Tessa, as she struggled to free herself.

"Give us the shards, insect," demanded Barricade, "or this one will die!"

"Not on my watch, Decepticon punk!" barked Ironhide.

Ironhide transformed and charged right into Barricade. Now that the Autobot weapons specialist was fighting Barricade, Tessa got back to her feet and sprinted towards Cade as the rest of the Autobots, including Optimus, transformed, ready to fight.

"Mearing, Ozaki," instructed Optimus, "protect the civilians."

"That damn cop car wrecked my grass!" groaned Cade in disgust, "now you see why I hate cops?"

Akane and Mearing sprinted towards Cade and Tessa as Optimus joined the battle.

"We're hiding in the barn," suggested Akane.

"Yeah," nodded Cade, "come on. There's an underground shelter we can hide in. It's where I've kept the shards."

Cade, Tessa, Mearing and Akane sprinted into the barn as Optimus and Bumblebee surrounded Blackout. Once they were in the shelter, Cade focused his eyes on Akane and Mearing.

"Who are they?" demanded Cade, "no, _**what**_ are they? And why are they here?"

"I guess it's useless to hide the truth from you two any further," sighed Akane.

"You just now realized that?" objected Mearing, "how else would you like me to explain giant robots on the property when these people are completely sober right now?"

Sighing, Akane began explaining about the war on Cybertron.

Meanwhile, Arcee and Elita teamed up against Knockout and Breakdown. The pink femme kicked the red Decepticon in the stomach, knocking him off his feet and sending him crashing into the ground.

"Hey," barked Knockout, "watch the paint!"

"Does it look like we care about your paintjob?" countered Elita.

Arcee managed to punch Breakdown in his right optic.

"AAGH!" shouted Breakdown, "my optic! You will pay for this!"

Breakdown pulled out his hammer hand and began swinging it at Arcee, but she managed to dodge the hammer easily. Optimus managed to pin down Blackout as Bumblebee aimed his cannon at the helicopter Decepticon's head.

"If you surrender now," said Bumblebee, "we will spare you."

"Not without the shards," barked Blackout.

"We are not giving you the shards," Optimus replied coldly, "we got here, first."

Eventually, Optimus, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Arcee and Elita managed to drive away the Decepticons, allowing Cade, Tessa, Akane and Mearing to emerge from the barn.

"So these are Autobots?" clarified Cade.

"Forgive me, Cade Yeager," apologized Optimus, "we didn't want to reveal ourselves to you, but the Decepticons don't care about secrecy, so we had no choice. I am Optimus Prime, and I am the leader of the Autobots."

"Then the leader of the Decepticons is this Megatron?" asked Tessa.

"Yes," nodded Ironhide, "but you don't want to meet him."

"Just do us a favor and keep it a secret, ok?" requested Arcee.

"Even if there was a news broadcast about you guys?" clarified Tessa.

Optimus nodded.

"All right," nodded Cade, "we won't tell anyone."

"Thank you," replied Mearing, "we'll provide you government protection after the shards are delivered."

"All right, then," declared Cade, "I guess we'd better start moving some boxes."

Cade, Tessa and Akane moved the boxes from the barn to the trailer, which took them around half an hour.

"Thank you," smiled Optimus, "Cade. We will be going, now."

"You're welcome," replied Cade, "Optimus."

Optimus activated the small control after pulling it out of his subspace compartment. The Autobots transformed into their alternate modes, allowing Akane and Mearing to hop into the Peterbilt semi truck before they drove into the portal. After a moment of silence, the space bridge disappeared.

"Great," sighed Cade, "since we got rid of the shards, how do I—"

"What if I start looking for a part time job?" suggested Tessa.

"Ok, then," nodded Cade, "I suppose that's a good idea."

* * *

A week has passed since the Yeagers safely gave the shards to the Autobots. While Optimus and a few other Autobots were out hunting for shards, Bailey was currently watching Attack on Titan while Sentinel was reading from his data pad. It seemed rather tranquil until Bailey's smart phone went off, prompting her to answer it.

"Who is it?" asked Bailey.

"Bailey," peeped Sophie over the phone, "could you pick a good song for my funeral?"

"Why?" paused Bailey, "what happened?"

"Remember the news about the alien attack?" whimpered Sophie over the phone, sniffing, "my friends asked me about Megatron, and since they know he exists, I told them about what he did to me."

"Sophie, why would you tell them that?" objected Bailey, "I could get in trouble with the officials."

"They kept nagging me about it when they suspected I knew of him," continued Sophie over the phone, "I tried to resist, but in the end, I caved in. After I told them, they spread the news across the neighborhood, saying that I was asking for it. Now they're calling me a stupid whore."

"Sophie," protested Bailey, "don't listen to what they say. You're not a whore, and you never asked for it."

"But they are right," sobbed Sophie over the phone, "I should've avoided Edward when he first approached me, and I should've covered up my body."

"It's not your fault," assured Bailey, "Megatron was the one who tricked you. You can just find someone who can love you despite what happened, right?"

"I tried asking out several guys already," disagreed Sophie over the phone, "but they simply turned me down. I guess Optimus was wrong. I don't deserve to live anymore. Goodbye, sis."

"Sophie, wait!" shouted Bailey.

It was too late. Sophie already hung up. Bailey quickly scrolled through her contacts list and began calling her mom.

"Hi, Bailey," said Kylie over the phone, "have you been doing ok?"

"Yeah," nodded Bailey, "but could you do me a favor and keep Sophie from killing herself?"

"All right," agreed Kylie over the phone, "I'm on my way home now, so I'll talk to her about going into therapy, ok?"

"Thanks, Mom," smiled Bailey.

"Bye," replied Kylie over the phone.

Bailey soon ended the call and noticed that Sentinel stopped reading and focused his optics on Bailey.

"What happened?" asked Sentinel.

"Sophie told her friends about Megatron and her rape," explained Bailey, "and she said that they blamed her for it. She sounded like she was suicidal, so I called my mom and asked her to check on her."

"Oh, Primus," sighed Sentinel, "I would probably have to explain this to Mearing."

"No need," assured Bailey, "I'll do it."

Bailey paused the anime and got to her feet and sprinted out of the living quarters before dashing into the hangar. She wandered through the hallway until she stopped at the door to Mearing's office. Without hesitation, she knocked on the door.

"Is someone there?" asked Mearing.

"It's me, Bailey," called Bailey, "can I come in?"

A moment later, the door opened, revealing Mearing.

"What do you want?" demanded Mearing.

"My sister called," explained Bailey, "she told her friends about Megatron, and she is becoming suicidal, since she told me negative things about herself and how her friends blamed her."

"I've said this before," assured Mearing, "I'll talk to the officials about it, although they've been asking about the Autobots, but that's not important."

"Thanks, Mearing," smiled Bailey.

"Now if you'll excuse me," replied Mearing, "I have paperwork to do."

Mearing closed the office door, prompting Bailey to wander through the hallway on her way back to Sentinel's living quarters.

* * *

Back on the Nemesis, Megatron entered the medical bay after hearing from Soundwave that there was a dispute going on between Shockwave, Starscream and Knockout. He could see Shockwave trying to yank an AllSpark shard out, which was embedded in the seams of Starscream's stomach.

"Now what seems to be the problem?" demanded Megatron.

"Apparently," answered Knockout, "Starscream had a shard stuck in his stomach after trying to fuse it with himself."

"So he can use it to terminate me?" bellowed Megatron.

"What?" exclaimed Starscream, "no, that's not what I was going to do!"

"Don't you lie to me, Starscream," thundered Megatron, "I've survived your attempts to kill me to know better than to fall for your lies!"

"Primus," sighed Knockout, "I guess this leaves me no choice."

Knockout stepped towards the storage bin and pulled out his energon prod.

"Sorry, Starscream," warned Knockout, "but this is going to hurt."

Upon cue, Shockwave withdrew his hand and stepped back as Knockout approached Starscream. The Decepticon medic placed the tip of the prod onto Starscream, which emitted electricity that surged through the Seeker's body, causing him to shout in pain. After only a few seconds, the shard popped out of Starscream and landed onto the floor, compelling Shockwave to pick it up. Knockout immediately withdrew his energon prod upon seeing the results.

"There, now," cooed Knockout, "that wasn't so hard now, was it, Starscream?"

"Frag yourself, Knockout!" hissed Starscream.

Shockwave noticed that Megatron had been silent for a moment.

"Lord Megatron?" asked Shockwave.

"Hmm," mused Megatron, "this gives me an idea."

"Really? Do tell," requested Knockout.

"Since Bailey's bracer consists of the AllSpark," explained Megatron, "maybe if we introduce electricity into her body, we can knock the bracer out of her possession and into our hands."

"What about Akane?" reminded Shockwave.

"Well," agreed Megatron, "her, too. I think we now have a means to score our victory!"


	30. Sacrifice and Defeat

Later that day, at the base, Optimus, Akane and a few more Autobots returned with shards in their possession, setting the fragments down onto the ground. Bailey approached the pile and used her bracer to absorb the shards, but when there were only a dozen shards left, her bracer stopped absorbing the AllSpark shards.

"Huh?" warbled Bailey.

Bailey knelt down and brought her bracer closer to the pile, but there was still no response.

"Strange," muttered Bailey.

Akane stepped towards Bailey while pulling out a miniature scanner from her pocket.

"Do you mind?" asked Akane.

Bailey stood to her feet and held out her wrist, allowing Akane to use the scanner on her bracer.

"Bailey," said Akane, "you have reached one thousand shards."

"One thousand?" paused Bailey, "what does this have to do with the fact that I can't unite more shards anymore?"

"Think about it, Bailey," explained Akane, "we are the only Keepers of the AllSpark, unless there is someone out there also uniting the shards in secret. But according to searches on the Internet, I highly doubt there is another one. I'm guessing that one thousand is the maximum limit, so we probably have 456 shards left to find."

"How do you know?" asked Bailey.

"I have 544 shards on my bracer," answered Akane, "there might be two thousand shards total."

"Does that mean you're going to finish uniting the AllSpark?" clarified Bailey.

Akane nodded before kneeling down, using her bracer to absorb the rest of the shards. Just then, Bailey heard her smart phone ring, prompting her to answer it.

"Hey," said Bailey.

"Bails," reported Nigel over the phone, "I hate to break news, but Sophie jumped off the roof and landed on the concrete face-first. Kylie's accompanying her on her way to the hospital right now."

"WHAT?" exclaimed Bailey, "how did she even manage to climb up onto the roof?!"

"She must've used the ladder in the garage," answered Nigel over the phone, "Kylie's talking to Denzel about it."

"I can't believe this would happen," gasped Bailey.

"Me neither," replied Nigel over the phone, "talk to you later."

Just then, the call ended as Bailey lowered her hand holding her smart phone.

"Bailey," asked Optimus, "what's the matter?"

"Sophie….tried to kill herself," answered Bailey, tears forming in her eyes.

"Primus," gasped Optimus, "I will explain your absence to Mearing if you wish to be with your family."

"I-I need a moment alone," bleated Bailey.

Bailey quickly sprinted away from the Autobots and exited the base while still carrying her smart phone. Akane attempted to sprint after her, but she only reached the entrance to the base and Bailey was gone.

"Bailey," shouted Akane, "get back here!"

After a moment of silence, Akane let out a sigh, not paying attention to Optimus as he approached her.

"She's going to get herself killed," muttered Akane.

"Someone needs to go after her," replied Optimus.

"You're right," agreed Akane.

* * *

Bailey had been running for around an hour by now. Exhausted, she collapsed onto the ground, and she could see the beach from a distance. She sat down while putting her smart phone into the pocket of her cargo shorts.

"Sophie," whispered Bailey, "why would you do this to yourself? Why? We were all trying to help you."

Bailey instantly broke down in tears as she buried her face into her knees. She thought Optimus's words of comfort gave Sophie hope. Instead, it seemed to be an empty hope. She didn't pay attention to the silver car that approached her. It wasn't long before Akane hopped out.

"Bailey," called Akane.

"I said I need time alone!" snapped Bailey.

"You're not supposed to wander off like that," warned Akane, "the Decepticons are after you, remember?"

"So?" cried Bailey.

Sighing, Akane stepped towards Bailey and sat down next to her, catching her attention.

"You're not blaming yourself for what just happened," asked Akane, "are you?"

"No," answered Bailey, "it's just that….why does my involvement have to have deadly consequences?"

"I highly doubt what happened to your sister was preventable," replied Akane, "I'm surprised Megatron just left her after he raped her. If Saburou did the same thing, he would never let her go."

"You mean your brother?" clarified Bailey, "Sentinel told me about him."

"At least my brother's not in power," murmured Akane, "but I suspect he may be behind certain movements designed to do the opposite of the goals of Cosmosis."

"I wonder how he ended up this way," pondered Bailey.

"I'm not sure," sighed Akane, "my father raised both of us properly, although he and my brother did not get along very well while I was growing up."

"That is a mystery," assumed Bailey, "I think he might've been influenced by something else."

"I agree with you," nodded Akane.

Bailey nodded before drying her tears. She and Akane stood to their feet.

"Maybe we should head back," suggested Akane, "maybe you should learn how to use your bracer properly."

"How?" objected Bailey.

"I'll tell you the first rule," answered Akane, "control your anger. Remember that incident from two weeks ago?"

"Yeah," Bailey nodded, "I don't want a repeat of what happened that day."

Akane and Bailey stepped towards the silver car, but suddenly, Bailey got hit by what appeared to be a snare from behind, which knocked her to the ground, causing her to shout in surprise and pain.

"Bailey!" panicked Akane.

Bailey struggled to free herself from the snare with her free hands, but to no avail. Akane turned around and noticed that Megatron and Knockout have appeared. It seems apparent that one of them must've launched the weapon at Bailey.

"Insect fools," boasted Megatron, "no Autobots will save you now."

Furious, Akane pressed on the gem of her bracer, transforming her uniform into her armor before she unsheathed her katana.

"You will have to defeat me, first!" thundered Akane.

While Knockout pulled out his energon prod and stepped towards Bailey, Akane charged at Megatron and slashed his leg with her katana, causing it to bleed energon as he shouted in pain.

"You will pay for that!" roared Megatron.

Megatron swung his flail at Akane, forcing her to dodge it. The Japanese woman quickly noticed that Knockout was closer to Bailey, much to her panic.

"I hope you enjoy some shock therapy for your back!" sneered Knockout.

Just as Knockout began moving the tip of his energon prod closer to Bailey, Akane quickly scurried towards the red Decepticon and got in between Bailey and the tip of the prod, stabbing her katana into the ground.

"Akane!" whispered Bailey.

The next thing she knew, Bailey saw the energon prod electrocute Akane, causing her to shout in pain while using the hilt of the katana to keep her from falling on top of Bailey. It wasn't long before Akane's armor reverted back into her uniform. To add insult to injury, her bracer flung out of her wrist and landed on the ground. Upon cue, Knockout withdrew the energon prod and picked up the bracer as the Japanese woman collapsed next to Bailey, becoming unconscious. The Decepticon medic stepped towards Megatron and handed him the bracer.

"Excellent work, Knockout," praised Megatron, "it is such a heroic sacrifice, indeed. I suppose one bracer will do."

Megatron put on the bracer before he stepped towards Bailey and an unconscious Akane.

"You should be lucky today," grinned Megatron, "I was going to steal your bracer, but I think I'll take your bracer after I conquer this planet. Knockout, we're leaving."

Megatron and Knockout transformed into their alternate modes and departed just as Optimus arrived and transformed into his robot mode. He stepped towards Bailey and forcibly removed the snare, freeing the human as she got back to her feet and focused her eyes on the Autobot leader.

"What happened?" demanded Optimus.

"Akane risked her life to save mine," answered Bailey, "but the electrocution she took removed her bracer and knocked her unconscious. Megatron has her bracer, now."

"That is not good," replied Optimus, "we may need to employ Jazz's talents again."

"Will it really work this time?" objected Bailey.

There was a long moment of silence, since Bailey and Optimus weren't sure what to do now. For all they know, the Decepticons could be getting closer to achieving their goal.

"All right," said Optimus, "we must return to base immediately."

Bailey knelt down and checked Akane's pulse. Fortunately, the Japanese woman was still alive; although barely, so Bailey pulled the katana out of the ground and carefully returned it to its sheath. She lifted Akane with her arms as Optimus transformed into his alternate mode, allowing the human woman to carry Akane into the semi truck. After she buckled up, the Autobot leader drove back to base and let out Bailey before transforming into his robot mode, carrying Akane into the medical bay while Bailey followed.

"Ratchet," requested Optimus, "Miss Ozaki has been electrocuted. She may need emergency medical attention."

"Bring her here," instructed Ratchet.

Upon cue, Optimus carefully placed Akane onto the examination table, allowing Ratchet to inspect her. Just then, Bailey noticed Sentinel entering the medical bay, which also caught Optimus's attention.

"Oh, thank Primus," sighed Sentinel, "you're all right. Bailey, what were you thinking, running off like that? That was dangerous."

"I know," replied Bailey, "I was just distraught when I heard of my sister, but that's not important right now."

"Then what is?" asked Sentinel.

"Akane found Bailey," explained Optimus, "but they both got ambushed by Megatron and Knockout. According to Bailey, Akane risked her life to save hers, but she lost her AllSpark bracer to Megatron. Fortunately, Bailey still has her bracer."

Sentinel shook his head in disbelief.

"We never should have come here," sighed Sentinel, "we will complete the AllSpark and leave at once."

"You've got to be kidding me," protested Bailey, "do you even have the means to travel through space?"

"We will use the space bridge to return to Cybertron," replied Sentinel, "where we belong."

"But," objected Bailey, "I'll miss you."

"When the AllSpark is completed," explained Sentinel, "we will have no choice. We have the fate of an entire planet riding on this. People are depending on us. We have the responsibilities to our home world."

"Will you come back after that?" asked Bailey, "I'm asking this because….I love you."

" _Dorésa aleictûn, Optimus. Navéya l'etsón da'inya ma élesí. Molíno actú_?" sighed Sentinel.

"I'm afraid I have no clue, father," answered Optimus, "right now, we should consider a plan to recover the other bracer."

"I saw Megatron put it on," mentioned Bailey, "since I can't get it off the normal way, I guess we can't remove the other bracer from Megatron, either."

"Unless we electrocute him," reminded Sentinel, a mischievous grin spreading on his face, "and I know just the people and place to do it."

"Oh, wait," clarified Bailey, "you're going to ask Akane's Cosmosis crew for help?"

"That's right," nodded Sentinel, "you saw what one of their crewmembers did to me. It'll do the same thing to him."

"I like the idea," agreed Bailey, "but how are you even going to get close enough to Megatron to carry out the plan?"

Just then, Lennox entered the medical bay.

"We get him to come with us," suggested Sentinel, "we'll stage at their headquarters, that way we have all the equipment. Ratchet can mock the signal given off Bailey's AllSpark shards so he'll think Bailey went to join them after all. He'll come looking for her and walk straight into the trap."

"Sounds like an interesting plan," interrupted Lennox, "but you've got to come outside. There's something you've got to see."

Sentinel, Optimus and Bailey followed Lennox outside, wondering what was so urgent. They gazed up at the sky and noticed that there were plenty of blue glowing particles flying through the sky.

"Are those," warbled Bailey, "particles of the AllSpark?"

"Optimus?" asked Sentinel.

"Megatron must be uniting the AllSpark shards," assumed Optimus.

"Not good," muttered Sentinel, "too bad we can't reach them."

Just then, they noticed that Mearing was also observing the phenomenon.

"What the hell is going on here?" demanded Mearing.

"Knockout was about to electrocute me," explained Bailey, "but Akane risked her life to save mine. After that, she lost her bracer to Megatron."

"Damn," muttered Mearing, "we were so close."

"I know," replied Optimus, "but I believe Sentinel has come up with a plan to recover the bracer."

"Indeed, I have," agreed Sentinel.

Sentinel relayed the information of the plan to Mearing.

"All right, then," replied Mearing, "I can contact Cosmosis to get the equipment ready, but I think you might need a Plan B just in case."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dorésa aleictûn, Optimus. Navéya l'etsón da'inya ma élesí. Molíno actú? - This is what I was afraid of, Optimus. They've grown attached to us. What do we do?


	31. Battle in New York City

The following morning, after breakfast, Bailey flipped to the news channel in her living space, hoping to wait for any sign of Decepticon activity as Sentinel read from his data pad while drinking from his energon cube. To keep herself from getting bored, she played New Super Mario Bros 2 on her 3DS. After a while…

 **"Tyler,"** exclaimed Courtney over the TV, **"I have breaking news! Remember the rumored alien battle from two weeks ago?"**

 **"Yeah,"** nodded Tyler over the TV.

 **"This Megatron is on top of the Flatiron Building,"** explained Courtney over the TV, **"I think he is about to begin whatever plan he has in mind. I don't like the sound of it, though."**

 **"All right,"** replied Tyler over the TV, **"bring it up."**

Soon, Bailey noticed the screen displaying Megatron on top of the Flatiron Building in New York City taken from the streets.

"Sentinel," called Bailey, "you've got to see this!"

Sentinel spat out some energon he was about to swallow in surprise after seeing the report.

"I'm right here," assured Sentinel, "I'm seeing it, and I'm broadcasting it to all Autobots and our officials' phones."

Sentinel finished up his energon cube.

"Great," smiled Bailey, "now we have to figure out how to get Megatron off that building."

Bailey saved her game, turned off the 3DS and put it away before putting her shoes and socks on. She and Sentinel stepped outside, where the rest of the Autobots were waiting.

"Hmmm," proposed Sentinel, "can anyone here fly?"

All optics looked from him to the gem on Bailey's bracer, and then back.

"Uh," asked Sentinel, "why is everyone looking at me?"

"Perhaps you could ask Bailey to Mega-Upgrade you when we reach the destination," suggested Optimus, "so you two can recover the bracer and make a retreat. I'll hold off Megatron as long as I can."

"Great," smiled Sentinel, "when do we leave?"

"As soon as possible," answered Bailey.

Just then, Bailey noticed that Akane's butler approached the Autobots with a high-tech taser in his hand.

"Here is the taser," said the butler, "as you requested."

"Thanks," praised Bailey, "now I can use this against Megatron."

"Now, Bailey, when I'm upgraded," instructed Sentinel, "do _**not**_ let go of my horn, because we're gonna have to ram it straight into him so he doesn't have time to react. Think you can do it?"

"I'll try," nodded Bailey.

Bailey plucked the taser out of the butler's hands and tucked it into her pocket as Sentinel went into the hangar to withdraw the Pillars and set them up.

"And we'd better hurry," reminded Bumblebee, "because I got a latest tweet from a civilian stating that Megatron is already using the AllSpark to transform the technology into his reinforcements."

"Then let's go," suggested Sentinel, "I'm itching to do some aft kicking."

Upon cue, Sentinel transferred the coordinates into the Control Pillar and pressed on the top of it, activating the space bridge.

"Autobots," commanded Optimus, "transform and roll out!"

After the Autobots transformed into their alternate modes, Bailey hopped into the Rosenbauer Panther while Lennox and Epps hopped into Ironhide's alternate mode, weapons at the ready. Sentinel, Optimus, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Jazz, Prowl, Mirage, Smokescreen, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Arcee, Chromia and Elita One drove through the portal, taking them to New York City near the Statue of Liberty.

"Let's do this!" declared Ironhide.

Ironhide, Chromia, Prowl, Jazz and Mirage went in one direction while Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Arcee, Elita, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker went in another direction, leaving Optimus and Sentinel behind.

"You're the leader, Optimus," asked Sentinel, "what do we do, now?"

"I suggest we drive to the destination," answered Optimus, "and then we engage Megatron."

"Then let's floor it," agreed Sentinel, "hold on, Bailey, I'm breaking all the traffic laws again. After you, Optimus."

Optimus led Sentinel away from the Statue of Liberty and they sped down the street. Sentinel blared his sirens so they wouldn't have to worry about traffic. The older Prime threw out a few choice swears to hasten any slow pokes out of their way. Thankfully, Sentinel's siren could blend in well with the multitude of others blaring toward the site. However, they could see robotic drones trashing the streets which sent civilians into a panic. Bailey cringed at the sight of some of the drones shooting some unlucky civilians while one drone ripped a businessman's head off, causing the body to spill out blood from the base of the neck.

"Scrap," muttered Sentinel, "how close do we need to get, Optimus?"

Upon cue, Optimus transformed into his robot mode and began taking out the drones with his gun.

"I'll clear the way," assured Optimus.

"I'm right behind you," replied Sentinel.

Optimus continued to fight off the drones. Sentinel rammed into some of them, keeping Bailey safe inside.

"You tell us when, Optimus," reminded Sentinel.

Meanwhile, Lennox, Epps, Prowl, Ironhide, Jazz, Mirage and Chromia were taking out drones in Manhattan when Breakdown, Blitzwing, Lugnut and Blackout appeared and started attacking the Autobots.

"Damn," groaned Epps, "I hate flyin' Decepticons!"

"Join the club," remarked Lennox.

"Who wants a knuckle sandwich?" taunted Jazz, "it's my secret recipe!"

Just then, Vehicon tanks and robotic drones swarmed the area, forcing the Autobots and the soldiers to fight back.

"EAT LEAD," shouted Epps, "CONS!"

Lennox and Epps fired their assault rifles at the drones while taking cover as Ironhide and Prowl teamed up to take down a Vehicon tank.

"Come and get some," snarled Ironhide, "Decepticon punk!"

Chromia and Mirage brawled with Lugnut while Jazz fought Blitzwing and Breakdown.

"Somebody wanna join me?" called Jazz, "I got an extra idiot, I mean, Con here."

"Let me assist you," insisted Prowl.

"Thanks, Prowler," smiled Jazz.

Prowl and Jazz continued fighting Blitzwing and Breakdown while dodging their shots.

Meanwhile, Bumblebee, Arcee, Elita, Smokescreen, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker got ambushed by Starscream, Knockout, Thundercracker, Skywarp and Barricade. The twins attacked Knockout, purposefully scratching his paint as much as possible, laughing at his reactions as they did. The Decepticon medic swung his energon prod in an attempt to get his revenge at the Terror Twins. Unfortunately, he ended up missing with every swing.

"Ha ha," teased Sideswipe, "missed me!"

"Neener neener neener!" sang Sunstreaker.

"You pathetic brats are irritating me!" growled Knockout.

"Duh, stupid," mocked Sunstreaker, "that's the point!"

Bumblebee, Arcee and Elita fought against Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp while dodging their shots. Bumblebee fired his own shot, then threw a flailing Starscream into his trinemates, sending them crashing them into the ground.

"Nice shot," cheered Elita, "Bee!"

"No problem," chirped Bumblebee.

"Guys," reminded Arcee, "we're not done."

As Arcee spoke, robotic drones began attacking Arcee, Bumblebee, Elita, Smokescreen, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.

"Oh, frag!" exclaimed Smokescreen, "SHOOT THEM!"

Arcee, Bumblebee, Elita, Smokescreen, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker instantly fired at the drones, taking them out as they continued the battle, which began heating up.

Meanwhile, Sentinel and Optimus were just a short drive closer to the Flatiron building, where Megatron was overseeing the invasion. However, it seemed that he was about to use the bracer once again.

"Now, Sentinel!" commanded Optimus.

Upon cue, Bailey jumped out of Sentinel's alternate mode and pulled out her taser as he transformed into his robot mode.

"I'm on it," nodded Sentinel.

After scooping up Bailey, Sentinel jumped into the air as she pressed on the gem of her bracer, Mega-Upgrading him into his Smaug-like form. With a great downbeat of his powerful wings, he shot like an arrow straight at Megatron as Bailey perched on his left horn, her taser at the ready.

"What the frag?!" exclaimed Megatron.

Sentinel didn't give Megatron time to react before spraying the warlord in blue flames as he got Bailey as close as he could. She jumped onto the roof and plunged the tip of the taser onto the Decepticon leader's leg while activating it, electrocuting him as he shouted in pain.

"Take that, Con!" shouted Sentinel.

The bracer popped out of Megatron's wrist and landed on the roof. To add insult to injury, Sentinel knocked the Decepticon leader off the building with his claws, sending him falling into the streets. Bailey seized the chance and grabbed the bracer before stowing it into her pocket. She climbed onto Sentinel's back and held on tightly.

"Nice catch," praised Sentinel, "now hold on!"

Sentinel banked hard right and climbed higher into the air, veering away from the Decepticons. Megatron was about to transform and pursue the elder Prime, but…

"Megatron!" called Optimus.

Megatron turned around and focused his optics on Optimus.

"You stay out of this, Prime!" thundered Megatron.

"At the end of this day," announced Optimus, "one shall stand, one shall fall!"

"Then _**you**_ will fall!" roared Megatron.

Within an instant, Optimus and Megatron charged at each other, clashing their blades.

"This ends now, Megatron!" declared Optimus.

Optimus and Megatron began fighting each other, the Decepticon leader swinging his flail at the Autobot leader but missing each time.

"You're finished," spat Optimus, "Megatron!"

"Not yet," countered Megatron, "I can still dish it out!"

"Then do it!" beckoned Optimus.

Megatron tackled Optimus to the ground, the Autobot leader now struggling to free himself.

"Humans don't deserve to live," sneered Megatron.

"They deserve to choose for themselves!" barked Optimus, pushing Megatron's face away.

"Then you will die with them!" thundered Megatron.

Megatron threw Optimus into the building, causing him to groan in pain.

"Join them in extinction or enslavement!" shouted Megatron.

Optimus managed to kick Megatron off of him and pulled out his gun. He managed to fire it at the Decepticon leader's shoulder before he tackled into him once again.

Meanwhile, Sentinel was still flying over the city with Bailey holding on when he suddenly noticed aerial robotic drones flying into the air and pursuing him.

"You've got to be fraggin' kidding me," muttered Sentinel.

While still in flight, Sentinel whacked some of the incoming drones with his tail. However, one of the drones managed to reach close enough to the robotic dragon and grabbed Bailey with its talons, causing her to scream.

"BAILEY!" panicked Sentinel.

Using one hand, Bailey struggled to yank the drone off of her, but to no avail. She could see Sentinel turning his head to where he was focusing on her, prompting her to duck. Within an instant, the elder Prime spewed out flames that burned off the drone's head, and then its body loosened its grip and fell off.

"Are you all right?" asked Sentinel.

"I'm ok," answered Bailey, "thank you, Sentinel."

Sentinel reached the outskirts of the city with the aerial drones still on his tail and made a safe landing. He then spewed out flames which burned the incoming drones within reach. With the area clear, Bailey reverted Sentinel's Mega-Upgrade as he knelt down to her level.

"We'll wait here until this is all over," assured Sentinel, "as long as you're with me, you are safe."

"Ok," smiled Bailey.

Meanwhile, Blitzwing tried to escape and Jazz began pursuing him through the streets, taking out any drones along the way.

"Get back here," snarled Jazz, "Decepticon punk!"

"Fat chance, Autobot!" countered Blitzwing.

Jazz continued to chase Blitzwing until they reached an alleyway, only to realize that there were bulky robotic drones waiting for him. He was about to fight them off, but two of them managed to restrain him.

"Congratulations! You fell into my trap!" cackled Blitzwing.

Without warning, Blitzwing fired his cannon at Jazz's head, blowing up half of it, which killed him.

"Feel free to take him apart," said Blitzwing.

While the drones began tearing apart Jazz's corpse, Blitzwing left the alleyway, only to find that Prowl managed to catch up with him.

"I'm afraid you're too late," sneered Blitzwing, "your friend is dead!"

"And so are you!" shouted Prowl.

Prowl charged at Blitzwing and ripped out a piece of his wing, causing him to shout in pain. After tossing the Decepticon aside, Prowl charged at the bulky drones and fired his cannon at their heads, effectively taking them out. He then knelt down to where Jazz's body was laying, gently brushing his hand over the limp chest while Blitzwing made a hasty retreat.

"Oh, Jazz," whispered Prowl, "if only I had arrived earlier…"


	32. More than Meets the Eye

Optimus managed to pin down Megatron with his foot. He aimed his charged cannon at the Decepticon leader's head.

"Optimus, please no more!" begged Megatron, "grant me mercy, I beg of you!"

"You, who are without mercy, now plead for it?" scoffed Optimus, "I thought you were made of sterner stuff."

Just before Optimus could fire, he suddenly heard a cannon fire from a distance. The shot quickly hit him in the side, causing him to shout in pain as he collapsed to the ground. He turned his head and noticed that it was Shockwave who shot him. Megatron seized the chance and freed himself before he aimed his cannon at Optimus.

"I would've waited an eternity for this," sneered Megatron, "it's over, Prime."

Just then, Elita, Bumblebee, Arcee and Smokescreen showed up and saw that Megatron was about to finish off their beloved leader.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE," shouted Elita, "YOU FRAGGING BASTARD!"

Elita and Arcee attacked Megatron, taking him by surprise. While the Decepticon leader was distracted, Smokescreen and Bumblebee helped Optimus stand to his feet.

"Sentinel made it out, sir," assured Bumblebee, "his mission was successful."

"Thank you," smiled Optimus, "how is your progress on the drones in the city?"

"What drones?" smirked Bumblebee.

"We took out most of them," added Smokescreen, "Ironhide and the others are looking for the rest."

"For now," nodded Optimus, "we should deal with subduing Megatron."

Just as Arcee and Elita cornered Megatron, they suddenly noticed shots hitting the Decepticon leader, even if they didn't exactly fire at him. They turned to notice…

"Your time is up, Lord Megatron!" sneered Starscream.

"You Pit-accursed traitor!" shouted Megatron.

"Ok," muttered Arcee, "this just got really weird."

"You take the Space Dorito," suggested Elita, "Big, Dumb and Ugly is _**mine**_."

Optimus managed to recover from the attack as Arcee charged at Starscream. He stepped towards Elita and Megatron, catching their attention.

"In that case," proposed Optimus, "we take him on together."

"Agreed," nodded Elita.

Optimus and Elita began fighting Megatron as Bumblebee and Smokescreen charged at Shockwave, dodging his flail every time he swung it at them. Suddenly, the Decepticon leader managed to grab Optimus by the neck and was about to rip it off, but Elita quickly shot Megatron twice in the head, causing him to loosen his grip as he collapsed to the ground. The Autobot leader waited to see if Megatron would get back up and attack him, but he didn't. It seemed apparent that the shots killed him.

"You leave me no choice, brother," sighed Optimus.

Optimus focused his optics on Elita.

"Thank you for saving my life," smiled Optimus.

"You're welcome, Optimus," replied Elita.

Optimus and Elita looked around and noticed that the Decepticons began to retreat as the Autobots gathered around the Decepticon leader's corpse.

"We took care of the drones," reported Ironhide, "should I contact Sentinel?"

"Please do so," nodded Optimus.

Optimus noticed that Prowl was carrying Jazz's corpse, which was missing his head and his arms.

"Jazz," whispered Optimus.

"I'm sorry, Optimus," explained Prowl, "but I couldn't save him."

"We will arrange a funeral for our fallen comrade," replied Optimus.

Just then, Sentinel arrived and allowed Bailey to hop out before transforming into his robot mode.

"But at the same time," continued Optimus, focusing his optics on Lennox and Epps, "we have gained new ones. You honor us with your bravery."

Just as Optimus finished speaking, the Autobots noticed that surviving civilians began approaching the Autobots with curiosity.

"Hey," called a civilian, eyes focusing on Bailey, "isn't that Tiger Fang?"

"Huh?" warbled Bailey.

"Oh, Primus," groaned Sentinel, "how are we supposed to explain what happened to these humans?"

"Don't worry," assured Epps, "we'll come up with something."

Bailey beckoned Sentinel to kneel down to her level.

"Is something the matter, Bailey?" asked Sentinel.

"When we get done with dealing with the publicity," requested Bailey, "can we head back to the base and pack up my things so I can be there for Sophie?"

"We'll have to discuss that with Mearing," answered Sentinel.

Sentinel glanced around the area.

"Besides," continued Sentinel, "I'm not sure if we'll be able to explain about this incident."

"Not to worry," assured Lennox, "the government has that covered."

Sentinel noticed military vehicles arriving at the scene, which meant Lennox was right. Soldiers and police officers swarmed the area while Sentinel pulled out the small control panel.

"I suppose we'll return to base," agreed Optimus.

* * *

After Sentinel teleported the Autobots to base, he and Bailey headed for Mearing's office.

"…We have the situation under control now," explained Mearing, "but we'll have to confront the higher officials at some point."

"Thank you, Mearing," replied Sentinel, "but I have a request: I would like to accompany Bailey so she can be there for her sister."

There was a moment of silence as Mearing thought over the question.

"All right," nodded Mearing, "if Megatron is indeed dead, then I suppose it is safe for Bailey to visit her family. But, I have a feeling that your war is not over, so I'll have Optimus notify you of any Decepticon activity."

"Yes," assured Sentinel, "but I know Optimus can lead the Autobots in my absence. And I thank you for your kindness."

Sentinel led Bailey out of the office and outside the hangar, where Optimus was waiting.

"Are you really going to leave for Cybertron?" asked Bailey.

"We could," answered Sentinel, "but based on what Mearing said, I highly doubt that the Decepticons would leave Earth alone."

"So the war is far from over," sighed Optimus.

"That's why I'd like you to keep Decepticon activity under control while I'm away," requested Sentinel, "Bailey wants me to accompany her while she visits her family."

"I won't let you down, _Nasutn'on_ ," nodded Optimus.

"I'm so proud of you, Optimus," smiled Sentinel.

Sentinel pulled the small control out of his subspace compartment and handed it to Optimus.

"Now," continued Sentinel, "if you'll excuse me, I must help Bailey pack up."

Sentinel led Bailey into the medical bay, where she handed the other bracer to Ratchet so he can return it to Akane when she recovers. They returned to the elder Prime's living quarters, where Bailey packed up her clothes and some of her games along with her wallet, her chargers and her hairbrush among many things. She pulled out her smart phone and began calling Clayton.

"Hey, Clayton," sang Bailey, "how are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine," replied Clayton over the phone, "did you see the news about the attack at New York City?"

"Not really," said Bailey, "I was going to let you know that I'm going to be away for a month or so."

"Why?" asked Clayton over the phone, "what happened?"

"Sophie attempted suicide yesterday," explained Bailey, "and she's currently at the hospital. I was going to head over to my family so I could be there for her."

"Seriously?" exclaimed Clayton over the phone, "that sounds horrible! But I understand how you feel. Ok then, I'll tell Olive and Fred about the news."

"Thanks, Clayton," smiled Bailey, "I'll see you later."

Bailey hung up before focusing her eyes on Sentinel.

"I told Clayton that I'm going to be away for a while," reported Bailey.

"Oh, good," replied Sentinel, "and I suppose you're ready to go?"

"Yeah," nodded Bailey, "and after I visit Sophie, maybe I should register for my classes."

"What do you mean?" asked Sentinel.

"I have to take one more year worth of classes before I can earn my degree," clarified Bailey, "I'm planning to get into the video game industry, so I can help make video games."

"Ah," mused Sentinel, "I can see why that career fits you."

Sentinel scooped up Bailey, allowing her to stroke the smooth wires that made up his beard. She could hear him making the deep purring sound that accompanied this action, so she gently pressed her lips against his. Not surprisingly, he shifted his lip plates ever slightly to return the kiss as he closed his optics. After a moment, they broke off the kiss and the elder Prime set her down onto the ground.

"So," asked Sentinel, "where does your family live?"

Bailey gave Sentinel the details of the location of her family's residence.

"All right," nodded Sentinel, "let's head over there, shall we?"

* * *

A month and a half has passed since the major battle in New York City. Bailey, Sentinel and her parents would spend some time at the hospital to keep Sophie company, even when she was still in a comatose state. At the moment, Sophie just woke up while Bailey, Sentinel's holoform and Nigel were in the hospital room with her.

"Hey, Sophie," smiled Nigel, "are you doing ok?"

"Am I….in heaven?" whispered Sophie.

"No," answered Bailey, "you're still in the land of the living."

Sophie focused her eyes on Bailey, even if her vision was rather blurry.

"Why am I still alive?" asked Sophie.

"Because there is still hope for you," assured Sentinel.

"How can there still be hope for me when my friends ditched me?" objected Sophie.

"Because they don't know you better than you do," replied Sentinel.

"Besides," added Bailey, "we're still here for you, no matter what."

"Oh," smiled Sophie, "thanks, sis."

"So are you going to try therapy sessions like your mom suggested?" asked Nigel.

"Maybe," nodded Sophie.

Bailey gave a soft smile in relief, confident that Sophie would make an excellent recovery.

* * *

That evening, Sentinel and Bailey drove to the countryside where no one could see the elder Prime's robot mode. Sentinel sat down with Bailey in his lap as they gazed at the stars.

"The stars sure look pretty," smiled Bailey.

"Of course they do," nodded Sentinel.

Sentinel pointed at one star.

"Rigel," continued Sentinel.

Sentinel pointed to another star.

"And Betelgeuse," concluded Sentinel.

"Yep," agreed Bailey, "my first boyfriend also had a collection of astronomy books and he would let me read them sometimes. I honestly enjoyed reading those books."

"So did I," replied Sentinel, "I loved astronomy from a very young age. I always wished I could travel to the stars...and now I have!"

"Wow," chirped Bailey, "you are so lucky!"

"Of course I am," chuckled Sentinel.

Smiling, Bailey embraced to Sentinel as he gently stroked her back. After what happened to be a long moment of silence, Bailey heard her smart phone go off, prompting her to answer it.

"Who is it?" sang Bailey.

"It's me, Akane," replied Akane over the phone.

"Oh," chirped Bailey, "hi, Akane! How are you feeling?"

"I feel better now," answered Akane over the phone, "Optimus told me that you helped Sentinel recover the bracer. I am proud of you for that."

"Yeah," agreed Bailey, "and now the AllSpark is complete."

"Do you know when the Autobots are going to return to Cybertron?" asked Akane over the phone.

"I honestly don't know," answered Bailey, "why do you ask?"

"Cosmosis is currently developing technology that is friendly to the environment," explained Akane over the phone, "I was wondering when we should return the AllSpark."

"I'll talk to Sentinel about it, ok?" assured Bailey.

"Thank you, Bailey-san," smiled Akane over the phone.

Bailey burst out in laughter for a brief moment.

"Did I say something funny?" asked Akane over the phone.

"It's the way you're addressing me," replied Bailey, "but nothing offensive, I swear!"

"That's all right," smirked Akane over the phone, "I'll let you get back to what you were doing."

"Ok, bye," nodded Bailey.

Bailey hung up before focusing her eyes on Sentinel.

"Akane called," explained Bailey, "she was asking how I was doing."

"Oh," replied Sentinel, "perhaps we could join your family for dinner soon?"

"Yeah," nodded Bailey, "Mom said that we're eating out at Applebee's."

"Let me know when you're ready to go," advised Sentinel.

Sentinel and Bailey continued to gaze at the stars for only a little while. After about several minutes have passed…

"Ok," called Bailey, "I'm ready to go."

"All right," acknowledged Sentinel.

Sentinel let Bailey jump off his lap before standing up to his feet and transforming into his alternate mode. She hopped into the Rosenbauer Panther and buckled up. After that, the elder Prime drove down the road until they reached the city, determined to locate the Applebee's. Bailey knew that the war was not over yet, but she knew for certain that now the Autobots have the AllSpark, there is still hope. Maybe the war will end someday and the Autobots will restore Cybertron. For now, Bailey and Sentinel can just enjoy the peace they have before they're supposed to return to base tomorrow.


End file.
